I saw my brother, Dr. Alec Couros, share this short and powerful video by Liv McNeil. Please take three minutes to watch it:

An incredible video by a student to show one person’s experience during emergency remote teaching. 

I have had a lot of conversations with educators about their students during the past few months. The comments have ranged from students thriving during this time to struggling way beyond what this video shows. 

To be honest, the same can be said for many adults. 

When we talk about social-emotional learning, we too often are focused on the students, but do we ensure that we are taking care of the needs of the adults in a profession that is so emotionally taxing?

It is exceptionally easy to lose sight of the many personal struggles of the adults when we don’t see them beyond “Zoom meetings” and social media posts. 

My own rule is to always err on the side of positive as I don’t know what any other person is going through, especially on the other side of a screen.  I am not perfect in that regard, but I do always keep this thought in my mind.

 

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A few  random thoughts and questions to consider about this video:

 

1. What are the reasons that some have thrived during emergency remote teaching in their learning, and how do we grow from that learning? Why have many struggled, and what do we do to ensure that we excel in any setting, whether virtual or face-to-face, both students and adults?

The tweet below is an excellent reminder that there are things we can learn from this time:

 

 

2. How do we ensure that we take care of the social-emotional needs of our students when they return to school, no matter what form that looks like in the fall? I know that a lot of people are trying to figure out ways to keep our students physically safe and discussing physical-distancing procedures, but we should also consider taking care of social-emotional needs in the planning.

 

3. Please also consider the above questions and thoughts for staff.  It would be bad practice to assume that everyone is okay after the most stressful year that I can remember.  It is hard to take care of students when the adults are struggling.

 

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I know many districts are addressing the above questions and thoughts, and I know I would appreciate that as a staff member. 

The video by Liv McNeil would be a powerful one to watch with staff and discuss. I just wanted to share it with you all.

Here are some final thoughts of advice when I discussed creating a “New and Better Normal.” I hope it helps: