Rising to the challenges of change

The pandemic has thrust our world into a state of uncertainty and constant change. Every day brings new challenges, directives and forecasts.

In schools, teachers adjust to many changes - from new curriculum, best practices, new leadership and world events that change and shape their daily lesson plans.

The past school year during the COVID-19 pandemic presented those changes 'but amplified many times over,' said Dan Calma, a teacher at D. D. Johnston Elementary School in the Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District.

'We learned to adapt to many situations before and we did it again on a much greater scale,' Calma said in a Q&A about how teachers are rising to the challenge of COVID-19. 'Trust in yourself and believe in your greatness. Relying on your professionalism and heart is the best practice as the world continues to change and evolve.'

Q&A with Dan Calma

In your experience, what has been the most challenging part in the switch to distance learning and how have you handled it?

Relationships and building them have been the most challenging. I know that when I connect with students and they connect with me, there is a level of trust and respect that develops. It is not to say that I have not been able to build those relationships, but it has been much more difficult when I cannot have them sitting next to me and allowing for open conversation to occur without having to unmute.

Being in person certainly facilitated that relationship building in a much easier way. It's more personal and we can see each other in person and not try to figure out body and facial language on a screen that shows their faces in a 1-1/2 by 1 inch rectangular box.

What did you learn from this challenge and how will this impact your teaching style and your vision as an educator?

When working with others, it's important to realize that often what we see is just the tip of the iceberg. We may not know why some students are struggling more than others, why some are not completing assignments, or why some parents are non-responsive to phone calls, emails, text messages, or other forms of communication.

As lives seemed to overturn, I learned that with patience, I was sometimes allowed into the lives of my students and their families. Some would share things with me that would not normally be shared. Families told stories of loss of employment, income, and family members. I learned how many had to prioritize their lives for survival, and completing an assignment was not at the top of the priority list.

I believed that I had been patient and empathetic before, but the level I had to have these qualities was amplified. The most important thing I have learned is that not all is as it seems. There is a deeper story beneath the tip of the iceberg.

Can you cite any life-changing experiences or aha moments in the virtual classroom?

Voices could often be heard saying, 'The kids aren't learning anything.' I heard it from my own students' families. After hearing this and feeling beaten down, I realized my students are not only learning, but they are thriving and becoming ready for what lies ahead in their future.

A few years ago, I was in a discussion about the future of teachers when online instruction was becoming more real. We thought about the future of teachers instructing in person when college courses were being offered online. I don't believe we saw this coming so soon, but it has.

Businesses are rethinking the necessity of having real estate to house employees when many were able to work remotely. Teleconferencing was being used more but this has now become the norm.

Our students are going to be ready to take part in careers where technology skills are vital. Who would have thought that Zooming would be one of the most important things for our students to learn in preparation for their future?

What difficulties did you have in balancing work and personal life during this pandemic - and how did you manage to cope? Any tips for healthy work/life balance?

The level of stress that I felt was just an overwhelming concern for the safety of my students and their families. My work life moments seemed to increase tremendously. Along with that came the concerns of my own family and their well-being. It seemed like more than ever before, I needed more hours in the day to take care of all the needs that came up.

Having a supportive family, friends, and colleagues was a huge help. Being able to talk to them, share struggles with each other and just being heard, relieved some of the stress. At times, I would Zoom with them just so I could see their faces, hear their voices and laugh together. Taking those times to vent and show empathy made things more bearable. I also took up painting. There was nothing brilliant produced but it was a nice escape, turn on some music and go to another place in my mind for just a bit.

Learning from your experiences, what best practices would you like to share with other teachers?

In life, things are constantly changing and evolving. Even if this pandemic had not occurred, life would still change and evolve. This pandemic just made that happen at warp speed.

As teachers, we see constant changes - from new curriculum adoptions, best practice ideas, new leadership at all levels, and world events that change and shape our daily lessons. We've been through all of that before, and we will continue to step up to the challenges of change. The past 13 months was one of those changes but amplified many times over.

Remember why you chose this noble profession. Remember why you are still in this noble profession. For most of us, it was to make an incredible difference in the lives of our students. We learned to adapt to many situations before and we did it again on a much greater scale. Trust in yourself and believe in your greatness. Relying on your professionalism and heart is the best practice as the world continues to change and evolve.

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