COVID-19 Teaching Stories: A Critical Analysis of Narratives of Teaching During a Pandemic

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 rapidly changed the world, including schooling. Teachers became education’s front-line workers: they shifted modes for teaching (i.e., face-to-face, hybridized, virtual) and navigated public health precautions (i.e., mask-wearing, handwashing, social distancing) while addressing issues of equity (i.e., access to adequate Wi-Fi, healthcare). While teachers’ experiences with change amidst the pandemic were consistent, little research yet documents how schooling unfolded, particularly related to power and identity issues. This study examined teachers’ experiences in the first six weeks of school during fall 2020 using a narrative approach to inquiry. The findings shed light on a crucial moment in history by considering the stories educators from across the globe, stories that would otherwise go untold.

Author

• Cassie J. Brownell, University of Toronto