Jen Schwanke will be presenting at the ASCD Virtual Symposium: The New Era of Education on October 20, 2021. Her session, “Let’s Not Ruin the Ending: Helping Teachers Balance Rigor with Restoration in a Post-COVID Classroom,” will explore how school systems can support students' academic recovery while managing social-emotional health. Below she previews two important takeaways.
For those of us in school leadership, our 2021 jobs look completely different than the jobs we had pre-pandemic. Initiatives that were previously at the root of our professional identity seem like distant memories as we scramble to stay focused on our core work—teaching and learning—while simultaneously juggling an unpredictable list of new responsibilities.
There are two rails anchoring and holding a vertical ladder. I see these anchors as two consistent, steady, parallel goals driving our work as educators: academic growth and social-emotional health. For school leaders, it’s important not to sway too far toward one or the other, but instead find a safe and healthy balance between the two.
In my ASCD Symposium presentation on October 20, I will discuss how school leaders can ensure that this pandemic has a happy ending for our students by (1) supporting academic recovery and (2) paying attention to social-emotional health.
Data at the Forefront
To keep academic progress as a focus, school teams should make data a cornerstone of instructional planning. When teacher teams and school leaders come together to establish assessment protocols, they are taking an important first step. They might reflect on questions such as:
- What standardized assessments will we use? Will they provide useful data?
- How can classroom assessments fill gaps left by standardized assessments?
- Where are we seeing regression? Where do our students need enrichment?
- Are we over-assessing?
- How can we communicate with one another to streamline our assessment efforts?
The more eyes that land on a set of data, the more perspectives and interpretations gleaned. This might be accomplished during regular meetings—every six or eight weeks is a reasonable amount of time—in which teachers monitor data and develop plans for instructional response. Working as a team can help forge a path forward.
One note of caution for data conversations: It’s a good idea to avoid comparisons. Often, teachers will default to comparing students—which ones had home support, which ones had strong teachers previously, what interventions were previously in place—but it’s important to remember that each household handled the COVID-19 shutdown and learning differently. When teachers avoid judgement and instead focus on moving forward, students will benefit in ways that are differentiated to their needs. Practical and applicable ways to address student regression, such as increased intervention programming, adjusted school schedules, reallocation of staff, curriculum reviews—processes that are often familiar to school leaders—all have a place in a conversation about next steps. In the end, identifying regression or progression should lead to a plan for instruction, not only at the classroom level but at the school level, too.
The more eyes that land on a set of data, the more perspectives and interpretations gleaned.
But one rail doesn’t hold a ladder. We need the other side, too. In our current reality, we need to support students in their overall school experience, which includes attending to their social-emotional health.
Restoration of Student Experience
With a new perspective that comes from teaching through a pandemic, we can revisit what makes our students feel confident and full of joy. Your school community might:
- Brainstorm systems to check in on every child. Even the quiet ones. Especially the quiet ones.
- Utilize any and all resources, such as counselors or social workers.
- Use parents to connect home and school experiences.
- Empower students to think about their strengths, challenges, and experiences, and ensure each child has a place in your school where their identity can thrive.
Balancing academic rigor and students’ social-emotional needs is no easy task, especially as we continue to spend countless hours managing pandemic protocols and procedures. But now is a great time to revisit our mission, values, and beliefs with a confident, calm, and compassionate voice. It is time for patience and practicality.
Our teachers know what to do, just so long as they have us there to boost them up and give them the support they need. Balancing the ladder is the key, as is the faith that students will be OK. With preparedness, focus, and an eye to both rigor and restoration, we will know exactly what to do next.
