A Tale of Resourcefulness: Bringing Pandemic Lessons into a Post-COVID World
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What images does the phrase “pandemic lessons” bring up? You might think of two: one is a grid of flickering faces on a computer screen, and the other is a grid of masked faces in a socially distanced classroom. These familiar pictures evoke a dread for the rampant virus, a yearning for the things we were barred from doing, and, for many, deep insecurity about what was to come. The FFA faculty were scrutinizing these pictures when we realized that we actually owed so much of what we learned to the pandemic. COVID-19 and its repercussions served an inspiring role for much of our work. Indeed, crisis-forced inventiveness caused many discoveries that shape our mission to provide accessible education for all.[1]
“Lea Waters/Berkeley Greater Good Magazine”
What will we think of when we see COVID-19 in retrospect? There is little consensus on whether, or for how long, some pandemic-introduced practices will remain. Regardless, there is no doubt that the pandemic lent us many new perspectives. The world’s response to the crisis highlighted the disproportionate vulnerability of already disadvantaged communities;[2] This made us aware of how far our communities are from fair and how much we can do to help. The unprecedented pace of the vaccine’s development[3] showed that few things cannot be achieved if enough people believe that they are sufficiently important. Finally, our adaptation to remote instruction allowed us to begin making a positive contribution to our younger peers’ literacy and sense of community, even from a distance. The pandemic, thanks to its surprises and challenges, pushed and inspired us to take on our roles as educators. These “pandemic lessons” will remain invaluable as we continue into a post-pandemic world.
[1] See also https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/. [2] See https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2021009-eng.htm. [3] See https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-conclude-phase-3-study-covid-19-vaccine.