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It’s Saturday afternoon at Nola Nerd Headquarters as I type this. Back in 2021, I wrote these words after taking one nap and dreaming about a second one (spoiler alert: I did). Teacher tiredness in the age of Covid was a very real thing, and if you’re an educator, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. Teaching during COVID was one of the biggest challenges of my career.
Before diving in, I want to say how thankful we are for our jobs and how much we love teaching. In 2021, despite the challenges, I had one of my best years in a long time. That year forced me to examine my lessons more deeply and reflect on their effectiveness. Plus, our district and school did an amazing job managing an impossible situation.
And you know what? So did we.
Hybrid Teaching: A Challenge Like No Other
Our school operated on a hybrid model during that time, with an option for e-learning. Students who stayed in person were split into two groups, alternating days between attending school and learning from home.
This meant teachers had to plan two lessons per day: one for in-person students and one for virtual learners.
I won’t sugarcoat it. It was hard. But, oddly enough, it also led to some of my best lessons. Smaller in-person classes allowed for more in-depth and personalized learning. Additionally, having students split into two groups made grading more manageable.
The Challenges of Teaching During COVID
Even with the positives, hybrid teaching presented unique challenges:
Lessons Learned and Gratitude
- Masks and Student Discussions
While our students were great about wearing masks, they sometimes acted like a barrier. Masks made it harder for students to engage in class discussions, and good teaching relies on student-centered conversations. - Planning and Organization
Planning hybrid lessons was exhausting. Remembering whether it was a Group A or Group B day felt like a task in itself. Posting assignments for virtual students was another challenge. Sometimes, I thought I had scheduled the work, but later, I realized that it had never gone up. - Worrying About Students at Home
It wasn’t just the students in front of us who needed attention. We also worried about those learning at home. I found myself checking emails more often than ever before. However, I made it clear to my students that I would not check emails after 4 p.m. I needed to set boundaries to spend time with my family. Teacher self-care is important in a field that is full of burnout.
We were on a 4×4 block schedule, which made things a little easier in the spring semester of 2021. By then, we had a blueprint for what worked and what didn’t.
We were incredibly fortunate that our school district took COVID precautions seriously. Because of the measures in place, I felt safer at school than at the grocery store. Our district took on an enormous task and handled it as well as anyone could have in that situation.
Looking back, I am grateful for the smaller class sizes, more personalized learning, and our students’ resilience. However, I also remember the exhaustion. Teachers everywhere were doing their best while navigating an entirely new way of teaching.
Updates from 2025: Looking Back at the Changes
It is now May 2025, and much has changed since I first wrote this post. Thankfully, we have not had to return to a hybrid model except for a brief period after Hurricane Ida.
One of the biggest changes since the pandemic is that our school has gone one-to-one with technology. Every student now has a device, which brings new opportunities and challenges. While this has made lesson planning more flexible, it has also added new layers of complexity, like teaching students proper digital citizenship and managing tech issues during class time.
On a personal note, no one in my household has ever tested positive for COVID-19. I credit this to the precautions we took, including vaccines and being mindful about exposure.
The lessons we learned during the pandemic, such as setting boundaries and being adaptable, continue to shape how we approach teaching today.
Final Thoughts on Teaching During COVID
Teaching in the age of COVID was one of the most challenging experiences of my career. Still, it also taught me a lot about resilience, creativity, and the importance of community.
To my fellow teachers, parents, and nerds, thank you for sticking together during those difficult times. Whether we are navigating hybrid learning, teaching in-person, or embracing the new one-to-one model, we continue to adapt and grow.
And now, I am off to find some time to relax, even if it’s just for a little while.
