Open AccessMake Healing, not Performance, the Goal for K-12 Schools Amid this Global Pandemic
Author(s) -
Munyi Shea,
Alexis N. Awdziejczyk
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international dialogues on education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2198-5944
DOI - 10.53308/ide.v7i1/2.29
Subject(s) - xenophobia , racism , social connectedness , curriculum , psychological resilience , pandemic , psychology , public relations , sociology , covid-19 , political science , pedagogy , social psychology , medicine , gender studies , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had far reaching implications on every aspect of human life – from where we work, to where we feel safe to grocery shop, to how we greet friends. At the same time, the pandemic has exposed long-standing issues of structural racism, xenophobia, social and economic inequities, precipitating multiple large-scale social justice movements and demonstrations in the United States, culminating in “dual public health emergencies.” As Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students slowly return to school, educators are grappling with how to support their students amid these overlapping crises. In this paper, we discuss the relevance of trauma-informed pedagogy, with a specific focus on 3Rs – relational connectedness, restored trust, and contextualized resilience. We urge educators to keep the whole child at the center of their curriculum, and to make healing – not performance – the priority for K-12 schools amid and following the global pandemic.