COVID-19 K-12 Guide for Educators
Faculty Advisor Name
Dr. Michele Kielty
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Description
COVID-19’s impact struck the United States in March of last year. School staff were tasked with the responsibility to quickly adjust to a virtual format to protect student and staff health. Leaders were forced to start from ground zero, as pandemic response plans were not on anyone’s radar before COVID-19. As public schools moved to this virtual format, school systems were initially overwhelmed with finding solutions to food insecurity, internet access, and addressing student and staff emotional needs. As these systems moved through the summer, found solutions to initial concerns, and started preparing for a very different academic year, there was a realization that more resources and support were necessary to take care of educators and students. Dr. Michele Kielty recognized a need for guidance through the pandemic and virtual learning, so I was tasked to help create a guide that gives information and activities to help educators in and out of classroom. After informally surveying some educators in the field, Dr. Michele Kielty and I narrowed down specific areas of need to help educators navigate the 2020-2021 school year. Each topic has general information, activities for the classroom, websites, available trainings, suggested readings, and helpful videos. The first chapter is centered on how educators can care for themselves during the pandemic, as educators have been overwhelmed with professional and personal stress and responsibilities. The chapter explores compassion fatigue, self-compassion, and self-care. Chapter two acknowledges that the pandemic was not the only trauma students and faculty faced this summer, giving anti-racism and culturally responsive teaching resources for both personal and professional growth. The next three sections of the guide are split by school level: Elementary, middle, and high school. Each section covered mindfulness, organization, time management, breaks and transitions, establishing attitudes and engagement, addressing grief, addressing trauma, and establishing virtual connection during distanced learning. Although the guide is 116 pages, it can be easily broken up by saving various page increments as PDFs, allowing for a less overwhelming presentation of information. The guide was posted on the JMU School Counseling website and sent to school counselors in the community and beyond. The url for the guide is https://psyc.jmu.edu/counseling/school/documents/k-12-covid-resources.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1lvTLLWvn7MxxA_iFuypi0gohYCQ8XWNVVcOAkTQcGKkQxR0DRp4UGhxI
COVID-19 K-12 Guide for Educators
COVID-19’s impact struck the United States in March of last year. School staff were tasked with the responsibility to quickly adjust to a virtual format to protect student and staff health. Leaders were forced to start from ground zero, as pandemic response plans were not on anyone’s radar before COVID-19. As public schools moved to this virtual format, school systems were initially overwhelmed with finding solutions to food insecurity, internet access, and addressing student and staff emotional needs. As these systems moved through the summer, found solutions to initial concerns, and started preparing for a very different academic year, there was a realization that more resources and support were necessary to take care of educators and students. Dr. Michele Kielty recognized a need for guidance through the pandemic and virtual learning, so I was tasked to help create a guide that gives information and activities to help educators in and out of classroom. After informally surveying some educators in the field, Dr. Michele Kielty and I narrowed down specific areas of need to help educators navigate the 2020-2021 school year. Each topic has general information, activities for the classroom, websites, available trainings, suggested readings, and helpful videos. The first chapter is centered on how educators can care for themselves during the pandemic, as educators have been overwhelmed with professional and personal stress and responsibilities. The chapter explores compassion fatigue, self-compassion, and self-care. Chapter two acknowledges that the pandemic was not the only trauma students and faculty faced this summer, giving anti-racism and culturally responsive teaching resources for both personal and professional growth. The next three sections of the guide are split by school level: Elementary, middle, and high school. Each section covered mindfulness, organization, time management, breaks and transitions, establishing attitudes and engagement, addressing grief, addressing trauma, and establishing virtual connection during distanced learning. Although the guide is 116 pages, it can be easily broken up by saving various page increments as PDFs, allowing for a less overwhelming presentation of information. The guide was posted on the JMU School Counseling website and sent to school counselors in the community and beyond. The url for the guide is https://psyc.jmu.edu/counseling/school/documents/k-12-covid-resources.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1lvTLLWvn7MxxA_iFuypi0gohYCQ8XWNVVcOAkTQcGKkQxR0DRp4UGhxI
