School principals share the lessons learned from pandemic,
Virtual trips, interviews among welcomed COVID-era modifications
There’s no question COVID-19 has upended the lives of students and teachers across the country, but there are still some positive developments to have come out of the pandemic.
Virtual field trips, online parent-teacher interviews and smaller cohorts are among the pandemic-related changes principals across the province hope to see continue in a nonCOVID context, according to a new report.
Advocacy group People for Education surveyed 1,173 elementary and secondary school principals last fall about positive changes that benefited schools, and challenges that intensified as the year went on. This spring, a smaller group of more than 200 principals completed a followup survey and one-on-one interviews.
The report was released Wednesday, a day before thousands of Toronto students head back to in-person class for the first time since April.
While virtual learning can’t necessarily replace the “incredible importance of in-person face-to-face relationships between students and teachers,” there are positive aspects of online education that have emerged during the pandemic, said Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education.
“Yes we’re all tired of Zoom meetings. But for principals and people working in schools, it meant teachers and students could collaborate easily with each other, without having to physically be there,” Kidder said. “There’s a downside and an upside to being online.”
Principals reported that online parent-teacher interviews, school council meetings and staff check-ins were more convenient, efficient, accessible and even increased participation. Using different schedules to keep cohorts smaller meant students could build deeper connections with peers, which contributed to a reduction in behaviour issues and anxiety for some, the report said.
For parents that have very young children at home and aren’t able to provide child care, the opportunity to meet specialists at the board through a Zoom call helps them overcome barriers, and access necessary language, psychological and social supports, said Mikki Hymus, principal of Grenoble Public School in Toronto’s Flemingdon Park neighbourhood. The ability to continue field
“This year has absolutely been filled with angst. Collectively, we’re finding ourselves in uncharted waters.”
MIKKI HYMUS
PRINCIPAL OF GRENOBLE PUBLIC SCHOOL
trips virtually was also a “gamechanger,” added Hymus, who did not take part in the survey.
Adrian Scigliano, principal of St. Daniel Comboni Catholic Elementary School in Brampton, who participated in the survey, also had praise for online field trips and said one of the aspects of virtual learning enjoyed by the school’s community was the ability to host interesting guest speakers.
However, as the year progressed, the pressure to provide a “safe, caring and loving” environment amid pandemic-related concerns was met with increased anxiety for administration and staff, Scigliano said.
The preliminary findings of the report suggest 55 per cent of principals were dealing with high-level anxiety. In the fall, 36 per cent disagreed with the statement their recent levels of stress at work felt manageable, and 19 per cent strongly disagreed. In the spring, 23 per cent strongly disagreed. Just 28 per cent agreed or strongly agreed their levels of stress were manageable, a drop from 33 per cent in the fall among the same group of principals.
“This year has absolutely been filled with angst. Collectively, we’re finding ourselves in uncharted waters,” Hymus said.
As an administrator, she’s tasked with managing the teaching, learning, wellness and safety of the school, with safety being “number one.” It’s a “large load to carry,” but not one she has to bear in isolation, Hymus added. She’s supported by the Toronto District School Board and the school’s partnership with Michael Garron Hospital. “The yin and the yang is there’s a resiliency, and definitely a will to see this through.”
The need for mental-health and educational supports increased dramatically over the pandemic, yet principals reported a shortage of social workers, psychologists, child and youth counsellors, special education services, occasional teachers, educational assistants and speech language pathologists, according to the report.
Aside from the overall anxiety that many Ontarians have been feeling, principals faced difficulty accessing adequate staff to work in schools, as well as dealing with learning model and timetable changes.
As well, policies were being announced “without warning,” sometimes to be implemented very quickly, which was a source of stress for many principals, Kidder said.
They reported a disconnect between decision-makers and school communities; people who understand “the complexity of managing real schools with real students, real families and real staff,” Kidder added.