As an elementary public school teacher with over a decade of experience, I’ve navigated a variety of challenges in the classroom, from accommodating children with ADHD and autism to supporting families facing poverty and homelessness. I’ve taught through personal difficulties, including my own pregnancies, and prepared my students for lockdowns that felt surreal. Like many educators, I left for spring break in March 2020 and never returned to my classroom that academic year. Now, since my school resumed 100% in-person instruction last August, I have avoided the chaos of hybrid learning but have nevertheless found myself more exhausted than ever before. Here are seven significant losses I’ve experienced this year due to the pandemic.
1. Time
To ensure a smooth transition, students now arrive 30 minutes earlier and take an additional 15 minutes for parent pick-up. This has resulted in a total of 45 minutes of my planning time disappearing each day. Moreover, with many teachers quarantined and no substitutes available, we have frequently kept our students instead of sending them to specials like PE and Music, leading to a loss of nearly a quarter of my planning time. Early morning meetings, which occur 1-3 times a week, further compress my schedule, adding up to a significant amount of lost time.
2. Presence of Mind
Juggling the uncertainties of COVID has made it feel like I’m living in multiple realities at once. I’ve developed “plug and play” emergency sub plans for various scenarios, from individual quarantines to class-wide lockdowns. Each quarantine requires updates to our Google Classroom and individual plans, leaving me feeling disconnected from the present as I constantly think about future possibilities and past missed opportunities.
3. Consistency
Due to the availability of online education options, our classroom community has fluctuated dramatically, growing from 16 to 26 students. With new arrivals, I need to assess their academic levels and help the class readjust. Additionally, the unpredictability of quarantines has shattered any sense of routine and normalcy.
4. Work/Home Separation
The increased workload and the ability to teach remotely have blurred the lines between home and work. The concept of a “sick day” has transformed dramatically; after contracting COVID, I was expected to teach remotely the very next day, despite feeling unwell. If you can click a mouse, you are considered fit to teach, which is a daunting expectation.
5. Community and Collaboration
COVID has isolated us—teachers and students alike. In a school that values collaboration, the inability to share materials or have close interactions has altered our teaching dynamics. Our schedule has changed to prevent overlapping classes in shared spaces, leaving little room for communication with colleagues outside my grade level. This lack of support has made handling classroom challenges feel increasingly isolating.
6. Financial Strain
This year, I’ve worked harder than ever but am receiving less support, with my paycheck decreasing by about $200 monthly. Significant budget cuts have hit our school district, resulting in no raises and the suspension of a yearly stipend for professional development. My classroom budget was also halved, forcing me to spend my own money on essential items, including COVID safety measures.
7. Faith in Humanity
In March 2020, society praised teachers as heroes, but by August, we faced criticism for raising concerns about safety in small, poorly ventilated classrooms. Social media became a platform for judgment as everyone weighed in on how teachers managed the transition to online learning. The lack of understanding and support has created a heavy burden, and ultimately, the ones who suffer most are the students.
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In summary, the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on educators, compromising our time, mental presence, consistency, work-life balance, community, finances, and faith in humanity. Despite these challenges, we continue to adapt and support our students in any way we can.