From the Editor: If you’re interested in sharing a little bit of your life with the GYTO community and would like to be one of our weekly teacher features, you can head to our Teacher Feature form and fill it out.

This week I have the privilege of introducing you to Maureen Howard. Maureen is a seasoned special educator and department chair, supervising teachers and serving students in grades 9 through 12. During the COVID-19 pandemic Maureen’s worked through various instructional models, including in-person and virtual cohorts. In addition to being a dedicated teacher, Maureen is also a dedicated student; she is currently working toward obtaining her PhD.

What has been the most challenging aspect of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic? How have you addressed it/adapted to it? “Simply put, learning on the fly. While special educators pride themselves in being adaptable, this has really pushed the limits of that. So many new tools and technology and expectations were put on teachers this year with little input from them. It can be incredibly frustrating to be left out of the decision making process yet need to implement all of these changes. Trying to weed through all the new expectations and feelings of overwhelm to see the fun and positive parts of virtual or hybrid teaching continues to be challenging, but worth it.”

What has been your biggest takeaway from the experience of teaching during COVID-19? “Education is not a solitary endeavor. Pandemic learning has shown us that through collaboration and communication with school professionals, families, and students, progress can be made and relationships can be maintained and grown. This year has taught me the importance of community, within our classrooms, our schools, and our neighborhoods. Though not intentioned, this year has truly changed the way that we will prepare for school in the future and I’m a better teacher and a better leader because of it.”

What has family communication looked like for you during COVID-19? “Honestly, I think this experience has fostered even better with families than we had before. In special education, as well as many of the younger grades, families help their students join and participate in virtual classes. For me, It’s been so great to see families more frequently and talk to them outside of the IEP meetings or parent conferences. They’ve trusted us by welcoming us into their homes, virtually and shared their pets and homemade lunches. The vulnerability that both teachers and families have shown has been so beautiful and nurtured positive family school partnerships.”

What does collaboration look like at your grade-level/team, and in your building? What strategies for collaboration have been most effective during COVID-19? “Collaboration this year really means looking out for one another and teamwork. We’ve come together to share materials, lessons, locate videos, and cover classes when something comes up. We laugh about the funny and listen for when it’s hard. This year it’s about relationships and connection not just with our students and their families but with each other. Personally, I’ve never been prouder to be a part of a team than I am this year with our staff.”

We learn the most from our failures. I’d love for you to share a story of a time when you experienced failure but learned from it. “In pandemic learning, it’s easy to feel like I’m failing every day. The WiFi disconnected, the link wasn’t visible, I forgot to record, I didn’t send the link to the right people... I could go on and on. So when I realize I messed something up, I try to figure out a way for it to not happen again or a plan for what to do if it does. I remind myself with my favorite quote from Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

What one piece of advice would you give to first year teachers this year? “You’re learning how to be a teacher in a pandemic. None of us have done this before. So be gentle with yourself. It’s hard enough learning how to be a teacher under normal circumstances. If you don’t know how to do something, ask for help. If you are confused, ask for help. If you’re overwhelmed, it’s okay — ask for help. Rely on the people around you because this community of teachers is more than willing to help.”

What one piece of advice would you give to ALL teachers this year? “As cheesy as it may sound, try to find the silver lining. Find the part to this crazy year that is going to help you be a better teacher in the future and hold onto that. Maybe you’ve learned some thing about technology didn’t before, maybe you I’ve gotten really good about differentiating, or maybe you’ve created Resources that you can now use for years to come. Try to remember this when you have your next hard day.”

We’ll end with some rapid fire questions!

• Favorite physical teacher tool? “Post-Its.”

• Favorite digital teacher tool? “Google Slides.”

• Go-to for self-care? “Cozy pajamas!”

• Current favorite TV show/movie? “Station 19.”

• Best thing to come out of this mess? “Spending more time with my dog, Rico Suave!”

Thank you, Maureen, for sharing this glimpse into your life. I am grateful you took the leap and filled out our Teacher Feature form! If you want to follow Maureen on social media, you can find her on Instagram as @spoonfulofsped and on Facebook here.