I Miss School, and I’m Adapting to Pandemic Learning, Too

Read the entire op-ed by E4E-Chicago member Bryan Meeker on Chicago Unheard.

The Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent effect on our lives have left many feeling aimless, confused, and even helpless. In many jobs, seasoned professionals and novice learners alike have done their best to adjust to working at home while also trying to stay motivated and positive in isolation.

As a biology instructor at a high school on Chicago’s South Side, I know I speak for many educators who might find these struggles familiar, feeling distant from our professions and our students we care about. During this first month away from my classroom, I have found myself managing a multitude of emotions, from an undeserved sense of relaxation to a growing sense of anxiety and loneliness.

While it’s certainly nice to wake up a little bit later, I miss my students and I miss teaching them face-to-face. I miss greeting them, helping them with their always-forgotten locker combinations, and even organizing their bulbous backpacks of mismatched papers as they attempt to find the lab report due today.

To read the complete op-ed, visit the Chicago Unheard.