Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Teaching Opinion

Teacher Takeaways From the Pandemic: What Worked? What Didn’t?

By Larry Ferlazzo — June 30, 2022 8 min read
A clean face mask on top of scattered sharpened pencils
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During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is Schools and the Coronavirus Crisis. You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

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1. What Teachers Have Learned Since the Pandemic Closed Schools

Instruction, technology, leadership, resilience, and more have all faced a reality check for educators in the last two years. Read more.

2. Students Share How COVID Has Changed Their Lives

Seeing friends and getting more leniency from teachers are two things students like about school this year. Waking up early is not, though. Read more.

3. The Best and Worst Things About This School Year—According to Students

Seeing friends, teachers, and playing sports again are some of the best things students like. Masks, not so much. Read more.

4. No, Temporarily Closing Schools Is Not Like Invading Iraq

Are academic challenges experienced by students now primarily attributable to virtual learning or to overall pandemic stress? Read more.

5. How to Fall in Love With Teaching Again and Other Morale Boosters

Cultivating a sense of play in the classroom is one key strategy teachers are using to combat the stress of coping with Omicron. Read more.

6. Teacher: ‘Omicron Is Truly Bringing Education to Its Knees’

Mindfulness exercises, flexible and fun assignments, and high-interest lesson topics can make the relentless situation more bearable. Read more.

7. How Teachers Are Coping With Omicron

Using strategies that enhance student autonomy and increasing opportunities to have fun are ways to help students manage pandemic stress. Read more.

8. 8 1/2 Things That Have Been Working This Year & 6 That Haven’t

Increased use of learning games, personalized learning, and peer tutors have helped. TikTok threats and student cellphone, not at all. Read more.

9. What Teachers Think Is—and Isn’t—Working This School Year

For teachers, mask wearing and student enthusiasm are working, while administration pressure on them to do more is not. Read more.

10. Students Are Finally Back Together. Here’s How They Feel About It

While well aware of COVID-related change, students seem to be focused on such typical high school fare as grades and college-entrance exams. Read more.

More Q&A posts about schools and the coronavirus crisis:


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The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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