What It’s Like to Be a Teacher during Coronavirus Pandemic

In her compilation of first-person accounts for Time magazine, Katie Reilly, a writer at Time magazine focussing on educational issues, provides a platform for American teachers to voice their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. In this compilation of testimonies from teachers nationwide, they talk about their immersion in the crisis, revealing their frustrations with the loss of in-person teaching and the subsequent limitations in connecting with students. Michigan English teacher Jessyca Matthews questions the focus on meeting curricular requirements during the pandemic, emphasizing the need to prioritize caring for students who have experienced trauma. She states: “Michigan was one of the states that was heavily affected by COVID-19 first. My students have lost family members, and there’s a lot of trauma we are not addressing. When COVID hit, I had kids who were texting me in the middle of the night, and I answered them every single time. As the school year starts, care needs to come before content. We cannot just hop in and learn algebra.”