Education was disrupted in 2020, and educators have been trying to find a new "normal" ever since.
The 2021-22 school year has begun to reflect the "new normal" for teachers, students, and educational leaders. Schools in 2019 didn't look like schools in 2000, nor schools in 1970. Was the pandemic a way to foretell the future of a new normal for educators and begin the shift of evolving the differentiated instructional approach?
Each year parents face the biggest decision that they make for their children, and the 2020-2021 school year was no exception. Perhaps this school year was one of the years where parents thought about this the most. Parents began looking for the most appropriate educational environment that their child would thrive in, and school choice was the buzzword in communities throughout Arkansas.
School Choice is the program authorized by the Arkansas General Assembly in the Public School Choice Act of 2015, which allows parents to apply for their child's admission to participating school districts other than the school district in which the students reside.
There are a variety of school-choice options available to families from traditional schools, public charter schools, homeschooling, online schools, and learning centers. Many Arkansans will be celebrating National School Choice Week, which this year is Jan. 23-29.
We now find that education has changed for the better.
Students are showing technology fluency and flexibility as well as resilience. Leaders have developed high-level policy changes and new programs to improve education equity, teacher mindfulness and mental health, and technology resources. Teachers have shared innovative strategies, built a collaborative community, and are still learning from each other's successes.
Effective teacher strategies have shifted. Teachers are now given the opportunity to channel what they have learned throughout this adventure, getting a taste of both teaching platforms: remote learning and face-to-face learning. Students enjoy engaging with technology, and digital tools have now allowed students to learn at their own pace with a variety of learning styles.
Teachers have had to meet the pace of students' needs for technology engagement. As of now, teachers are back in the classroom and are ready to develop new learned skills.
During the next few years, we may find parents who have opted for online learning and homeschooling for their children through school choice coming back to schools that provide face-to-face instruction. We see that these schools are committed to helping students continue their path to success.
You'll find that schools have changed for the better and are committed to creating opportunities for academic and future career success. New and innovative education strategies that were employed through the 2020-2021 school year are here to stay.
Educators are now in their new norm, and education has changed for the better through educational hardships. Teachers, students, community partners, and educational leaders are ready to continue to develop the "new normal" to increase student achievement and success.
Kristina Eisenhower of Cabot is a 14-year veteran teacher, small-business owner, and mother to three. She has served her district as a classroom teacher, math interventionist, dyslexia interventionist, and is currently an instructional coach in the Pre-K-4 elementary setting.