The Effects of COVID-19 on Teachers and Their Classrooms

• In Event: Lessons From the Past, Present, and Future: The Evolving K–12 Responses to the COVID Crisis

Abstract

All facets of life changed mid-March 2020 as COVID-19 swept across the globe. Educators suddenly found themselves staffing virtual classrooms and creating new ways to stay connected with students and their families as school districts closed. Students would not return to their classrooms the remainder of the academic year, and the fate of schools opening in the fall was questionable. As COVID-19 diagnoses increased throughout late spring and early summer, the CDC provided guidance documents for school districts to consider in their fall plans. At the time of this proposal submission, many districts had not yet released final plans. It remains to be seen how many districts will resume in-person learning at the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. However, many teachers have raised alarms regarding safety issues within their classrooms due to COVID-19. While some districts have included teachers in reopening task forces, a larger group of teachers felt ignored and unheard.

This study examined the working conditions teachers faced during the move to remote/online delivery in the spring and those they faced at the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. The participants also discussed the inclusion and lack of teacher input in the reopening plans and their beliefs regarding the practicality of the CDC guidelines in their respective classrooms. Grounded in critical theory, this phenomenological study utilized a nationwide survey and 60 interviews to understand the experience of teachers. The data was analyzed using iterative reflexive coding cycles.

The profession of teaching has been under attack for decades from individuals and groups who have been trying to undermine teachers’ legitimacy through neoliberal school reforms, standardization of testing and curriculum, and reducing autonomy in the classroom (Berliner & Biddle, 1995; Apple, 2012; Shea & Ceprano, 2013; Naison, 2014; Hursh, 2016;). In spite of all these past challenges, teachers were successful in maintaining a supportive environment for students as they swiftly created new learning environments in the midst of a pandemic. As teachers looked to the upcoming academic year, they expected to have input into the decisions being made, especially as COVID-19 cases continued to skyrocket throughout the summer. For many, that was not the case. A 2017 study conducted by the American Federation of Teachers and the Badass Teachers’ Association found that teachers are overworked, stressed, and do not feel they have a voice regarding decisions made. Teachers have reported similar feelings regarding the 2020-2021 academic year. However, teachers are being asked to sacrifice more than their time and mental health this time. Many teachers fall into the CDC risk factors or have ADA documented conditions that put them at extreme risk in a face-to-face classroom. In some cases, teachers took accommodations their districts provided, but some teachers refused to leave their classrooms because they wanted to teach their students (Will, 2020).

There is currently little research regarding teacher input during crises in schools. This study aims to fill this gap and provide reasoning for why teachers need to be a central voice of educational decisions made at all levels.

Authors

• Brianne Kramer, Southern Utah University

• Denisha Jones, Sarah Lawrence College