Originally published in TEACH Magazine, March/April 2022 Issue
By Amanda Ferraioli
Education around the world has transformed for teachers and students alike over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirteen years into my teaching career, I feel like a first-year teacher again. The weight of mounting demands feels unbearable. Teachers are struggling to provide engaging, effective lessons while educating students who have received varying levels of instruction during the most trying times of the pandemic.
In the midst of these challenges, teachers also have to navigate the social and emotional needs of their students, along with ever-increasing class sizes and varying levels of support from administration, all while adhering to COVID-19 regulations. Many days it feels as though there isnāt a spare moment to breathe, let alone add anything else to our already-overflowing plates.
Amanda FerraioliĀ is a 2nd grade teacher in Malvern, PA, as well as a certified yoga, mindfulness, and meditation instructor for children and adults. Amanda is always learning and growing as an educator, because she is a mom of three entertaining and energetic children, ages 7, 5, and 1!
