Last December, I found myself standing outside my car on a quiet street in West Baltimore, clutching a “Thinking of you” card. Alongside the elation and relief that typically accompanies the holiday season for teachers, I carried a heavy burden for one student. This student had been incredibly quiet during virtual classes, and when I reached out, I discovered that she was grieving the tragic loss of multiple family members within a month. While my colleagues at the high school had kindly raised funds to support this student’s family, it was evident that she wasn’t the only one facing challenges. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, many of our students have experienced unimaginable losses, extending beyond time missed in the classroom to the foundational elements that provide love and support, such as family members and loved ones.
As schools reopen their doors this fall, the national media’s focus on education has primarily revolved around the issue of learning loss. Over a million children did not enroll in school last year, and a significant portion of those children were kindergartners from low-income neighborhoods. The virtual learning landscape has posed particular difficulties for our most vulnerable learners. Students in historically redlined neighborhoods often lack access to adequate technology and broadband connectivity. In Baltimore, for instance, one in three households do not have a computer, and 40 percent lack wireline internet service. These pressing problems need to be addressed.
However, as I prepare to welcome over 100 ninth graders into my classroom this fall, I am equally concerned about the trauma they have endured during the pandemic and how we can best support their transition back to school. Many of these incoming ninth graders have not stepped foot inside a physical school building since seventh grade. As they bring their authentic selves into the classroom, they also carry the emotional and personal difficulties they have faced. Shockingly, nearly one in five Americans knows someone who has lost their life to COVID-19. For Black Americans, this number rises to one in three. Additionally, COVID-19 has been shown to cause stress and trauma. Schools serve as the nurturing grounds for future generations, and while it is important to help students excel academically, we must not ignore the long-term impact that trauma can have on their overall well-being and educational achievement. It is crucial that we help our children process the immense emotional and mental hardships they have experienced.
By solely focusing on the alarming learning loss associated with COVID-19, we fail to address the exceptional circumstances in which we expect students to learn. In just a year and a half, students have had to adapt to multiple changes in their learning environments, from virtual to hybrid to fully in-person. However, trauma significantly hampers the ability to learn. Scientific research has shown that experiencing trauma activates the amygdala, the primitive part of the brain responsible for triggering fear responses. In the presence of trauma, the amygdala interprets non-threatening experiences as threats, causing the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for cognition and learning, to shut down. When the mind is constantly scanning for danger, learning becomes incredibly challenging.
For many of our Black and brown students, the trauma from the pandemic compounds their existing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), resulting in a higher ACE score. Children who experience trauma are more likely to develop chronic physical and mental illnesses. In Baltimore, where institutional racism and discriminatory policies contribute to ongoing stressors such as gun violence and poverty, the pandemic has only exacerbated the struggles our students face. It is difficult to focus on academic subjects when concerns about family finances and the recovery of close family members from COVID-19 loom large.
Nevertheless, the good news is that one of the most effective ways to heal trauma is through human connection and trusting relationships. I am grateful that my school and district prioritize social-emotional learning (SEL), which integrates emotional self-awareness and interpersonal-relationship skills into the curriculum. Even before I began my teaching career, I recognized the importance of establishing SEL routines in the classroom. Simple practices like a welcoming ritual and an optimistic closure, where students engage in five-minute self-reflections and share-outs at the beginning and end of each class, foster positive relationships and provide predictability. Additionally, restorative circles, a community-building exercise that facilitates discussions about needs and repairing interpersonal conflicts, can be instrumental in providing support. It is crucial that school districts prioritize the mental and emotional health of students as we return to in-person learning. We need to reimagine schools as spaces where children can heal, placing grace and compassion at the forefront for both students and teachers who find themselves navigating exceptional circumstances.
As I eagerly anticipate the upcoming school year, I am reminded of how teachers across the United States demonstrated extraordinary adaptability as we switched between virtual, hybrid, and in-person teaching. This year, however, brings added nerves as we navigate a world where COVID-19 continues to exist. I understand that, for my students, the most meaningful aspect of school has been the relationships they have formed. Whether it was students wanting to share lunch on Zoom during virtual learning or struggling learners thriving with the presence of caring adults in the school building during hybrid learning, the importance of safety, community, and trusting relationships cannot be overstated. When we prioritize these pillars, healing begins, and learning naturally follows.
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