Teaching Interactive

Reasons for Hope

Amid a persisting pandemic, educators and students are optimistic about the new school year
By Jaclyn Borowski, Kaylee Domzalski, Eric Harkleroad, Emma Patti Harris & Brooke Saias — August 26, 2021 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Students and teachers are returning to their classrooms for a third school year disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In many communities, rancor and division over masks, vaccines, and teaching about race and America’s history of racism compound the disruption.

But for the teachers, principals, school nurses, librarians, counselors, and superintendents who were celebrated in the early months of the pandemic for going above and beyond for their students, and adapting amid unprecedented circumstances, they’re ready and they’re hopeful.

In a series of videos, students and educators from across the United States share what they’re hopeful for as they head into the 2021-22 school year. Gathered from June through August, the voices of these educators and kids reflect the changing state of the pandemic during the summer. For those we talked to in June, it seemed a normal school year was in reach, while those we spoke to in more recent weeks were seeing Delta’s surge disrupt the start of their new academic year.

Click on each state below to view the videos:

Browse videos by occupation below:

Teachers:


Administrators:


Students:


Student Support Staff:

Related Tags:

This project is sponsored by Scholastic. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Breaking the Cycle: Future-Proofing Schools Against Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism is a signal, not just data. Join us for a webinar on reimagining attendance with research & AI!
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Trust in Science of Reading to Improve Intervention Outcomes
There’s no time to waste when it comes to literacy. Getting intervention right is critical. Learn best practices, tangible examples, and tools proven to improve reading outcomes.
Content provided by 95 Percent Group LLC

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Opinion Enough Already With the New Initiatives. Give Teachers a Break
School leaders should not only ask if new approaches will aid learning but what teachers can stop doing to make room for the new task.
11 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Educators Share Their Best Ideas for Unlocking Student Learning
Teachers need to look beyond perceived biases and low expectations to help students succeed.
9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching March Madness-Themed Lessons for Any Classroom
Teachers online share creative ways they've used March Madness to enhance their lessons.
1 min read
Vector illustration of a basketball going into a hoop. Blue sky and clouds in the background
iStock/Getty
Teaching Teachers Reveal Their Most Memorable April Fools' Day Pranks

Educators on social media share their best pranks and jokes.

2 min read
Photograph of a group of diverse elementary school kids sitting on the floor and laughing at something their teacher is doing.
iStock/Getty