In my last blog, we examined the ways the pandemic set the stage for education reform and the ways in which teachers can and should be empowered to guide that transformation. While professional development, platforming and amplifying teacher voices, and unifying to advance needed change are a fantastic start to sustaining reform momentum, today’s discussion aims to go a bit deeper to explore the ways in which we can support teachers and students not as abstracts in a policy debate but as human beings.
The CRT Discussion We Should Be Having
One of the first things the pandemic did was atomize classrooms. Instead of 30 students in one place, teachers had to navigate the challenges of 30 students in 30 places. Removing kids from this shared space revealed many things, but one that I think gets overlooked is how at-home cultures shaped the nature and efficacy of education.
Physically isolating students was no one’s preference, but it did force educators to really take stock of their students as individuals. In doing so, the urgent need for culturally responsive teaching (CRT) became clear if teachers were going to shepherd all of their students through the disruption.
Importantly, culturally responsive teaching extends beyond surface-level diversity. The goal of CRT is to integrate diverse perspectives and histories into the educational framework. As architects of the learning experience, teachers can advocate for curriculum changes that incorporate methodologies and instructional materials which honor the multicultural reality of their students so that each one feels seen, heard, and respected.
The clarion call for CRT doesn’t stop at teachers or individual classrooms. If we want to make this a system-wide change, collaboration between educators, administrators, and policymakers is a must. Formalizing the definition and expectations of CRT will create space for a shared commitment that shows teachers “We have your backs.”
An integral part of this process is investing in programs designed to recruit and retain teachers from diverse backgrounds. While I believe that every teacher, regardless of their background, is capable of meeting students where they are, actively listening about their experience, and treating them with empathy, we should remember that these are kids. They might lack the nuanced understanding needed to receive that kind of support from just anyone, especially as classrooms take up increasing space in their home—their safe space.
When students see educators who look like them, who have lived some similar experiences born of their diverse background, it nurtures a sense of connection, engagement, belonging, and safety.
Reassessing Assessment Practices
When the nature of education itself has to change, why wouldn’t the assessment practices we apply to the success of education change with it? This is an evergreen debate that has spun off different types of schools based entirely on new age assessment methods. But, the pandemic again revealed pressure points in the system we’d been avoiding.
Talk to any parent and I would guess they aren’t sold on standardized tests. I’d bet students are even less enthusiastic about them. These tests are constantly under a microscope and are still loaded with inherent biases. Some of those biases are cultural, others heavily favor neurotypical students and only one kind of learning style. If we are going to prioritize cultural and ethnic diversity in our curriculum, we should extend that same prioritization to how our kids learn.
Again, in atomizing the classroom, the pandemic brought the problems with this kind of bias to the forefront. A one-size-fits-all approach can’t work anymore. It doesn’t even serve the majority of students, regardless of their background. It only serves to limit the ways of learning the system finds acceptable. Instead, we need assessment practices that can hold space for a diverse range of student capabilities and learning styles.
Simply because a student doesn’t test well doesn’t mean they aren’t grasping the material, and it surely shouldn’t limit their future. The good news is that inclusive methods already exist. If a student struggles with test taking they might be better suited for an oral exam or an essay. Some students will articulate their understanding better through projects and more hands-on learning.
By treating students as individuals with unique perspectives and growing minds, we invite students to bring their authentic selves to school and provide a holistic continuity of instruction that doesn’t reduce their prospects to a single number.
Supporting Teacher Well-Being and Mitigating Burnout
In this blog alone we’re asking A LOT of teachers. The troubling reality is that this is nothing new. Teaching is an extraordinary responsibility when everything is going right. Add in systemic inequity that stretches resources thin, seeks to cut teacher pay at all opportunities, and political turmoil that gets unfairly aimed at teachers and it’s no wonder so many get burned out and flee the profession. It’s honestly nothing short of an emergency.
The pandemic also centered this conversation. The clunky and tense transition to remote teaching increased teacher workload. Many felt compelled to carry additional emotional weight to support students through a global crisis. Teacher well-being suffered and burnout left many second-guessing what came next.
Teachers are passionate people. That our system smothers that passion beneath a heap of tertiary issues that stifle their best efforts breaks my heart. If we’re going to sustain reform efforts and achieve the equity our children deserve, we need to meet teachers with compassion. It simply cannot happen without them. Districts need to prioritize integrated mental health resources to help teachers manage stress, reduce burnout, and create a more supportive work environment so that they can show up as their best selves everyday.
Because ultimately it’s not just good for teachers. Who would you rather have educating your child: A teacher who is well-compensated, supported by the system, has a healthy work-life balance, and can maintain enthusiasm and perspective every single day? Or a teacher who is barely hanging on because of systemic inadequacies and political pressures; a teacher who feels muzzled, ignored, and underpaid, reduced to just showing up and getting through the day? I’ll tell you, no teacher begins their career as the latter. And if we can create this problem, we can solve it. We owe it to our teachers and to our children.
The Road Ahead
Some complexities of education reform post-pandemic are still emerging, but the way forward is clear: make teachers our greatest advocates for change by empowering them to be vocal about the issues, to be empathetic with their students, to prioritize a diverse approach to curriculum, to be flexible in how they assess their students, and enabled to take care of their holistic well-being.
In doing so, we put the power of change into the hands of those who can do the most immediate good for the greatest number of our children. Happy and empowered teachers will inevitably create a more engaging, inclusive, constructive, and joyful learning environment that doesn’t leave some children behind because of background, circumstance, personality quirks, or learning style.
The long-term sustainability of the transformations initiated by the pandemic will require the collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders, but we have to start with our teachers.