After writing about Teachers Who Have Gone Above and Beyond During the Pandemic and Incredible Educators We’ve Lost To COVID-19, I wanted to continue this week’s Teachers theme with ways we can help educators—now and into the future.
It’s an extremely difficult time to be a teacher in the United States. Some teachers have to continue with remote learning even though it can be difficult and distancing (physically and emotionally, too). Some teachers have to go back to school full-time, many at great personal risk, even though many schools are not yet on track for safe reopening. Other teachers have to contend with hybrid schooling which may prove untenable. And others have left the profession altogether to preserve their own health or the health of their loved ones.
Traditionally, the United States celebrates Teacher’s Appreciation Week in May, but we need to celebrate and support our educators every day this school year, no matter how it unfolds.
(Element5 Digital, Unsplash) 
(Element5 Digital, Unsplash)
What Parents Can Do:
- Listen to Teachers. Understand the challenges they face and the difficult decisions they’ve had to make. Here are some insights from teachers across the country, in their own words.
- How Did COVID-19 Change Your Teaching, for Better or Worse? See Teachers’ Responses (Education Week)
- Opinions From Teachers on Returning to School During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Tallahassee Democrat)
- Teacher: “Parents Need to Go to Work” Does Not Stop Covid-19 at the School Entrance (The Washington Post)
- Take the Pandemic Seriously! (And Make Sure Your School Is, Too) Even if you and your child are not at high-risk for serious illness, your child’s teachers might be—and so might other school staff members, students, and their families. Help keep everyone at school safe by following the recommendations below.
- School Outbreaks of COVID-19 Will Happen. Here’s What Teachers and Parents Can Do to Keep Them in Check (CBC.ca)
- How Safe Is Your School’s Reopening Plan? Here’s What To Look For (NPR)
- School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians (CDC.gov)
- Coronavirus and Schools: What Parents Should Know for the Fall (US News)
- USA COVID-19 K-12 School Closures, Quarantines, and/or Deaths (Google Spreadsheet)
- Kids May Find Masks Uncomfortable, But They’ll be Vital to Stopping COVID-19 in Schools, Says Expert (CBC.ca)
- Wear Masks! Even if your school does not have a mandatory mask policy, if your child is over the age of 2 and doesn’t have difficulty breathing, they should wear a mask at school, in addition to practicing good hygiene and social distancing as much as possible. More guides on staying healthy from the CDC below.
- How to Wear Masks (CDC.gov)
- How to Protect Yourself and Others (CDC.gov)
- Social Distancing (CDC.gov)
- Keep Children Healthy During the COVID-19 Outbreak (CDC.gov)
- If you can afford it, make a donation to the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Teachers and Students. (AdoptAClassroom.org)
- If your local teachers are protesting unsafe school reopening plans, support them!
What Schools and the Government Can Do:
- Supporting and Lifting Up Teachers in the World of COVID-19 (Education NC)
- Supporting Teachers in Back-to-School Efforts After COVID-19 Closures: A Toolkit for School Leaders (UNESCO)
- UNESCO, the Teacher Task Force, and the International Labour Organization released a toolkit to help school leaders support and protect teachers and education support staff in the return to school. See also: Guidance for Policy-Makers and Framework for Reopening Schools.
- What Teachers Need to Make Remote Schooling Work (The Atlantic)
- In interviews with The Atlantic, teachers identify four of their most urgent needs to reduce disparities in remote learning access: free, high-speed internet for students; peer-to-peer professional development; the ability to bend the rules; and emergency aid to low-income families.
- Many Schools Aren’t Reopening in the Fall. Now What? (Vox)
- Experts weigh in on how to help parents and kids when schools are closed by expanding child care options for parents, pay parents to stay home, invest in technology and close the digital divide, and improve the online school experience beyond academics.
- How to Prevent Teacher Burnout During the Coronavirus Pandemic (The Conversation)
More Resources For Teachers:
- USA COVID-19 K-12 School Closures, Quarantines, and/or Deaths (Google Spreadsheet)
- 8 Ways Teachers Can Continue Supporting Students During the COVID-19 Era (American Psychological Association)
- Resources for Teachers to Support Distance Learning and Online Teaching (Wide Open School)
- Free webinars, articles, templates, and more can help you partner with families, build your virtual classroom culture, and gain confidence with remote teaching.
- Resources and Examples: Learning in the Time of COVID-19 (Learning Policy Institute)
- Resource topics include Policy and Funding Strategies; Distanced Learning; Social-Emotional Learning; Student Health and Well-Being; Supporting Students with Special Needs; English and Multilingual Learners; Educator Preparation; and Early Learning.
- COVID-19: Information for Educators and School Support Staff (American Federation of Teachers)
- COVID-19 closure working papers, free online resources, distance learning community, and supporting students with disabilities.
- Resources for Virtual Instruction and Online Learning (National Council of Teachers of English)
- NCTE books, blog posts, and journal articles; ReadWriteThink.org resources and activities; and resources from other educational organizations.
- COVID-19 Crisis Response Resources for Educators (WestEd)
- Resource topics include Distance and At-Home Learning; Health, Safety and Well-Being; Science and Mathematics; Early Childhood; Online Professional Development; Special Education; English Learners; and Resource Planning and Management.
- Supporting Educators During COVID-19 Resources (Learning Forward)
- Resources for building capacity to teach and lead in a time of uncertainty, social and emotional support for educators, and strategies for staying connected.
- Resource List for Educators (Teaching Tolerance)
- Resources for emotional support, COVID-19, social justice, distance learning, and families in need.
- 10 Mental Health Tips for Teachers Balancing Life and Remote Teaching (EverFi)
- Supporting the Continuation of Teaching and Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic (OECD.org)
- Annotated resources for online learning as compiled by the Global Education Innovation Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the OECD’s Directorate of Education and Skills, the World Bank Education Global Practice, and the organization Hundred.