Through the course of any learning experiences I’ve had as an educator, the process of adapting to the demands of virtual learning has, by far, been the most unforgettable journey. The response to the pandemic happened so suddenly, there was an immediate need to (fluidly) calibrate the balance of a rigorous academic experience for scholars, while simultaneously honoring their need to feel seen, heard, and engage with peers. This, of course, is compiled with a general concern for monitoring screen time and additionally layered with a need for empathy and understanding; students are in the midst of a shared pandemic, while also internalizing the volatility of our current political and social climate. How do you position a school culture to be a light in this environment, rather than an additional reminder of the current weight your environment may bear?
Yet to be discussed in this space is the additional thought pattern around the lines of personnel: turnover of the year prior, virtual hiring season, electronic onboarding, shared platform acclimation, and sustaining their affect to contribute to a shared positive (virtual) school culture. In this unprecedented space, teachers have been asked to take a new approach to their craft, broadcast it, and do so with quality and fidelity. The hours and space required to turnover this task has been incredible and continues to foster a need for ensuring we’re also prioritizing the well-being of our people and their quality of life, to the extent possible on behalf of our school community.
As an administrator, continually seeking feedback from staff and a willingness to be open and responsive has assisted in generating an environment that initially felt infeasible at launch. Collaboration with immediate and tertiary leadership team members has allowed for innovations such as daily social-emotional learning blocks (“advisory”), our first official cross-school student body government, continued structures for weekly scholar celebrations, and re-thinking how to increase time, space, and frequency for parent interactions and conferencing.
While the need for unpacking all of my learning experiences is far from over, I stand optimistic in knowing I have been backed by a staff who have been as equally flexible and innovative when our environment demanded we respond. I believe that by prioritizing modalities of engagement and a general willingness to be adaptive to meeting our community where they are, we have forged a way forward to illuminate a space that felt bleak from outset. The optimism birthed from our “no barriers” attitude continue to propel us through what could have been a detrimentally ambiguous period.
Sincerely,
Micheal Bray
Principal, KIPP STRIVE Academy
1444 Lucile Ave.|Atlanta, Ga 30310
www.kippstrive.org
STRIVE. REACH. Achieve.