The novel coronavirus or COVID-19 is running rampant across the globe. In Virginia, non-essential businesses have closed, K-12 schools are closed for the rest of the school year, and higher education institutions have transitioned to remote or online learning. As of yesterday, Governor Northam signed Executive Order 55, our Temporary Stay at Home Order due to COVID-19, and it will be in place until June 10th. I am so very thankful for all healthcare workers that are helping to treat those impacted by COVID-19 and all other essential workers who, by going to work everyday, are helping the community at large flatten the curve.
As an administrator in social work higher education, I’ve been privy to many conversations that will impact students ability to be successful:
- Allowing students to choose “Pass”/”Fail” options for coursework
- How to successfully complete internship requirements remotely to include:
- Reducing the required number of hours
- Providing meaningful alternative assignments
- How to best financially assist students impacted by COVID-19
I have enjoyed being part of the think tank to process these changes and having a social justice lens applied to many of the issues faced by our students. What I have learned throughout these conversations is that leading during a pandemic is tricky; there is a fine balance between providing timely information to students and providing information that is tone deaf. As Virginians continue to shelter in place for the next 71 days, the communication that higher education leaders provide will be dissected for timeliness, accuracy, empathy, and innovation.
A close colleague of mine has continued to remind me/us that “We are in the midst of a global pandemic, we don’t need to pretend everything is normal.” As the COVID-19 pandemic grows and eventually subsides, we will need to evaluate and lead within a new normal. We have to prepare to lead and teach people in our community that will be dealing with grief and trauma associated with COVID-19, in addition to the other social justice issues they were dealing with prior to the pandemic.
I understand the privilege that I have to be able to work from home and homeschool my kindergartener. It is not lost on me that the achievement gap amongst children with differing socioeconomic statuses will grow. As a doctoral student, I can appreciate the flexibility that I have been given to complete the remainder of my work for this semester. As I reflect on the many responsibilities and tasks that I currently have, I am inspired by many scholars and leaders who have called for academics to not fall prey to productivity pressures. While many of my goals are now pushed to the bottom of my to do list, this pandemic has allowed me to reflect on the minuscule and unimportant tasks that I allowed to take over my life. These last 26 days at home have allowed me to reprioritize my life. What I do as a leader, professor, mother, and student during this semester should not take away others abilities to do the same. How we respond as leaders will shape the future of academia; let’s make sure we are on the right side of history.
How to cite this blog post:
Clark, S. H. (2020, March 31). Leading, teaching, and parenting during a pandemic [Blog Post]. Retrieved from Becoming Dr. Clark website: https://becomingdrclark.com/leading-teaching-and-parenting-during-a-pandemic/