Remember COVID?

Charlotte Figler, '27

We recently passed the 5-year anniversary of the start of COVID-19, and with that, it’s hard not to think back to all the stories we either shared or heard about: students stuck at home due to classes being cancelled, parents stocking up on food and non perishable items, celebrities speaking out about their opinions on the vaccine, and all the other chaos. The role that teachers played was essential during this time period. They navigated Zoom, online learning, and hybrid teaching, all while trying to keep us engaged and on top of our school work, not to mention their own personal lives. What were they doing in their free time, though? How has that changed from today? We took a look at some Ensworth perspectives in exploring both the positive and less positive aspects of 2020.

On the positive side, many teachers discovered new hobbies. Mrs. Warren, the Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Relations, discovered that this newfound free time allowed her to pursue new hobbies and deepen her passion for tennis, cooking, and baking. Ms. Burns from the Science Department also picked up new activities, such as walking, and spent more time on others, like reading. English Department’s Mrs. Bradshaw, admittedly, didn't change her routine much, continuing to do the same things she usually does, such as gardening, reading, and watching Netflix. 

On the negative side, COVID also affected our teachers in some less-than-ideal ways. Ms. Burns, who was a senior in college at the time, never had a proper graduation. She had to move home, spend her final quarter of college doing classes on Zoom, and had to graduate from her living room. Similar to this, Dr. King had to give his PhD dissertation over a screen, instead of in person. Ms. Berry commented that she was up at 5 AM some mornings to adapt to everyone's learning and didn’t get off the computer until 7 PM sometimes. Most teachers commented on the fact that the constant repetition of their days became long and mundane, often feeling like COVID would never end, and this was the new reality. 

My personal favorite part of the survey was learning about the lessons these teachers learned throughout COVID. The change in perspective (being the teacher versus the student), made it hard to relate to at first, but also provided interesting insight from that school year. One response that I loved was following a question about advice they would give themselves now knowing what that year would be like: “To spend time growing and consider your personal development during this time of uncertainty, not just doing things just to do things.” I think a lot of time was spent in a monotonous routine where day in and day out, we would just go through the motions, and this made me think. Going back, I wish that I had spent more time reviewing how I personally changed and adapted. Another response I found valuable was, “I would tell myself to appreciate the extra time with family more. I would give anything to spend that time with my parents and sister again, knowing that we won’t all live together again.” While staying home during COVID might have seemed hard at the time, reflecting back on it, I was a lot closer with my family, similar to Ms. Burns, who gave the response. This was a positive that came out of COVID: stronger family bonds in some cases. 

One final response that I want to highlight is from Mrs. Bradshaw, who said that she wishes she had told herself to “keep staying open to the possibilities.” Some teachers in their response also noted how online learning affected their teaching, in both negative and positive ways. While some found it incredibly aggravating, some said that they now use it much more often and have benefited from the way they teach. While teaching during COVID was an adjustment for sure, it brought new teaching habits and techniques that some teachers are still in touch with. Whether we like some of these habits or not, online learning has introduced much more technology, apps, and strategies in the ways that we learn, which can make teaching much more efficient and time-effective. 

While COVID came as a shock to routine for everyone, teachers were affected, possibly the most out of any group. The daily routine was waking up, doing work, making time for yourself and family, and then repeating. While COVID is a time not a lot of us want to remember, teachers commented on the important lessons they learned and things they miss from that time, through all the chaos. Missing the sunshine and being outside during the day, being under scheduled in plans and things to do, staying at home with family and dogs, and having fewer responsibilities were some of the highlights. Learning how to be independent from other people and finding things to do in boredom was an important life skill that everyone learned throughout COVID. In short, the lesson of staying open to new possibilities, being adaptable, and riding the wave still proves to be useful and true.