The Experiences of Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

As COVID-19 was an unprecedented global health pandemic, its impact on American schools should be documented and disseminated. Since March 2020, districts, charter networks, and independent schools were forced to make high-stakes decisions based on limited information and competing interests. At the same time, teacher training programs had not prepared their graduates to teach in a health crisis or navigate virtual teaching at such a large scale. In this qualitative study, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 teachers from across the country to understand how schools addressed COVID-19, how the pandemic impacted student-teacher relationships, and how teachers felt as professionals during this era of American education. The interviews took place from November 2020 through January 2021, and the participants taught in traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools as well as rural, suburban, and urban communities.
I identified three themes from the interviews. First, a teacher's experience in the classroom during COVID-19 was strongly shaped by the external actors; specifically, the type of system in which they teach (i.e., charter versus traditional school district) and by the community where they teach. For example, teachers in the sample who teach at larger urban districts reported that the district's central office, the state's department of education, or the teachers' union made the majority of the decisions. These teachers also reported that they felt that parents and school employees were silenced or ignored in the decision-making process, while, teachers at smaller charter schools and private schools reported feeling heard by decision makers and playing an active role.
Second, at the school level, administrators played a critical role in developing the culture regarding COVID-19. Specifically, through modeling behavior, principals created and reinforced expectations around cleaning, distancing, and mask-wearing. In schools where principals demonstrated hesitancy or a mistrust of scientific protocols, teachers were less likely to adhere to public health guidelines. Teachers in the sample also reported deep tension on staff in these schools that would often manifest in mocking and dismissive comments across lines of political difference. On the other hand, in schools were the principal implemented guidelines with fidelity, teachers were more likely to follow and there was less tension between staff members regardless of political persuasion.
Finally, COVID-19 impacted the student-teacher relationship. Teachers reported being quicker to build more trusting relationships with students given the nature of the protocols. Teachers also reported increasing their communication with families and being more direct in feedback to parents and guardians. For example, "Johnny is struggling with the quadratic formula" rather than "Johnny has a C in this class." At the elementary level, teachers reported that physical distancing created barriers in relationship building. While secondary teachers shared that mask wearing and their larger class rosters often meant they do not know what their students look like physically. For those teachers in the virtual setting, relationships became more transactional rather than building trust and deeply knowing students. In these situations, teachers cited feeling like truancy officers and lowering academic expectations around completed work and grades.

Author

• Emily E. Coady, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville