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6abc Digital Staff. (2021, January 12). School District of Philadelphia adds 39 sites to student “grab-and-go” meal distribution program. 6abc Philadelphia. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://6abc.com/school-district-of-philadelphia-student-meal-distribution-grab-and-go/9585978/

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Harris, K. M. (2020, May 26). In the wake of the coronavirus, we must design and build the schools we Need—Not simply reopen schools as they were. Center for American Progress. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/wake-coronavirus-must-design-build-schools-need-not-simply-reopen-schools/

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Li, L., Flynn, K. S., DeRosier, M. E., Weiser, G., & Austin-King, K. (2021). Social-emotional learning amidst COVID-19 school closures: Positive findings from an efficacy study of Adventures Aboard the S.S. GRIN Program. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.683142

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“We need to get in touch with 100% of our families, make sure they have everything they need for their children to learn and give families whatever supports they need or this is just not going to work” (Seale, 2020, para. 1)

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Seale, C. (2020, May 19). Parent involvement has always Mattered. Will the COVID-19 pandemic finally make this the new normal in k-12 education? Forbes. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/colinseale/2020/05/19/parent-involvement-has-always-mattered-will-the-covid-19-pandemic-finally-make-this-the-new-normal-in-k-12-education/?sh=41196cc5e465

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“How can we engage the COVID-19 crisis to think futuristically about how we can meet the needs of all learners?” (Spires, 2020, para. 3).

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Spires, H. A. (2020, May 18). Designing next-generation education during COVID-19. EducationNC. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.ednc.org/perspective-we-cant-put-the-genie-back-in-the-bottle-designing-next-generation-education-in-the-time-of-crisis/

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"SEL is the foundation... It's about connecting everybody and making them feel safe and secure before you get to the academics" (Walker, 2020, para. 1)

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Walker, T. (2020, April 15). Social-emotional learning should be priority during COVID-19 crisis. National Education Association. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/social-emotional-learning-should-be-priority-during-covid-19

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As a result of COVID-19, we have seen schools adjust drastically. Spires suggests that class sizes may be too high to appropriately fit in a classroom (2020). It is also suggested that more students should have the opportunity to learn remotely and asynchronously, as it may be their best way of learning (Spires, 2020).  As we innovate to improve teaching and learning, we may find blended learning to be one of the best practices.

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Many inequities have been amplified during remote learning, including the lack of access to technology or internet (Spires, 2020). In order to make improvements for potential future pandemics or closures, the United States needs to create funding towards innovative strategies of COVID-19, including use of online public streaming websites (i.e. Zoom or Google Meets) to deliver instructional content and 1:1 devices for students (Harris, 2020).  Preparation is key, and having the funding to cover the costs to provide laptops and WiFi for all children and all families will be beneficial in the long run for future closures.

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Building a relationship with parents has always been important, however, the COVID-19 pandemic proved it to be crucial.  If a student is learning remotely, parents are likely home with their child.  During the school day, parents can get involved by assisting their child with navigating online websites, reading aloud to them, helping them problem solve, or communicating with the teacher (Seale, 2020).

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Not every parent has the ability to help their child with virtual learning, but the Springboard Collaborative has a solution. The organization invites socio-economically disadvantaged parents to learn the skills needed to support learning at home. The Springboard Collaborative has helped parents who struggled with reading be able to read to their children (Seale, 2020). The organization didn't only help children learn to read but helped another generation of people become literate.

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During COVID-19, schools were still able to help those in need in their communities. In Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia offered "Grab-and-Go" meals for students during the pandemic. Since families may not have had the ability to feed their children, the school continued to provide a week's worth of nutritious breakfasts and lunches for each child (6abc Digital Staff, 2021). The ability for a school to continue to distribute food to children, whether the children are in the building or not, is helpful in case of future closures. In case of any future shut downs, there is a process in place for providing food to children in the community.

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COVID-19 meant isolation to many.  Students were not able to see their teachers or classmates, and they were missing those connections.  Instruction through a screen alone wasn't the same as the face-to-face interaction they previously had.  As a result of the pandemic, it had become a clear priority to teach social and emotional learning during the school day (Walker, 2020).  Students who have developed their social-emotional skills have better academic performance and school behaviors, while students with poor social-emotional skills are more likely to have academic underachievement, behavior problems, and emotional difficulties (Li et al., 2021). With more students being affected by trauma during COVID-19, SEL needed to play a role in school.

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To improve teaching and learning, and to prepare for future closures or events, it is important to continue to prioritize social-emotional learning. The classroom should always be a safe space for students, and students should always feel welcomed and included in their classroom, whether it is in-person or virtual. Teachers can host morning meetings, community circles, and check-ins in order to get to know students, build a relationship with the students, and communicate with them (Walker, 2020).

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Continuous professional development for remote learning is also a necessity to prepare for future closures.  Since COVID-19 closures in 2020, a majority of professional development has centered around the transition to virtual learning (Spires, 2020).  As we return to normalcy and near post-pandemic, remote learning professional development should not stop here.  To prepare for the future, we should still learn about the best practices for online learning and how we can continue to include technology into the classroom.