Teaching Takeaways From the Pandemic: Two Years Later

We checked in with Edpuzzle and edtech enthusiast Adam Hill for an update on how he and his students at Victoria Shanghai Academy in Hong Kong are doing two years after the COVID pandemic rocked the education system as we know it. Below are his reflections on those two tumultuous years!

My February 2020 guest post for Edpuzzle is still one of the most popular articles that I’ve ever written. I’m actually surprised by that because, almost instantly, it became outdated.

The article, about how COVID-19 and remote learning were sweeping Asia, was written two years ago when the pandemic was new. I added “better known as the coronavirus” because, believe it or not, it was a time when most people in the world had never heard of COVID-19. Remember those glorious days?

Don’t get me wrong - the article includes good advice about technology, effective online practices and why Edpuzzle should be a core tool for all teachers. I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already, but you can pay little attention to my personal experience because so much has changed since then.

Soon after that article was published, the entire world was impacted by the pandemic and, indeed, it still is today. It was written as if change had already happened, but it was just beginning. The situation - along with education - has been evolving ever since.

Last month, Edpuzzle reached out to ask if I’d like to write a reflective, follow-up article. The situation in Hong Kong was stable and schools had been open for the vast majority of 2021. It felt like a good time because remote learning was behind us… or so we thought.

Where we stand today

Since then, despite Hong Kong’s famously strict quarantine measures, the Omicron variant crept in and we were forced to dust off our headphones, revisit the remote learning guidelines and teach online again over Zoom.

As it currently stands, this is a temporary, two-week measure to get this small outbreak under control. We hope that we will be back in school very soon, but experience makes me doubt that!

The most positive thing that I can say about our current situation is that the transition was smooth. We’re all experts at remote learning at this point, including the students. We’re prepared, experienced and fully equipped with a range of technology tools (like Edpuzzle) to enhance the experience.

I don’t want to dwell on remote learning because that wasn’t the intention of this article. But allow me to share a very brief update on our practices because they have been tweaked many times since February 2020!

It quickly became apparent that remote learning was not a temporary measure, but an ongoing necessity. With that in mind, we moved to synchronous lessons and a full (yet condensed) timetable. Lessons are slightly shorter than usual to allow time in the afternoons for independent work and check-ins with small groups.

As I said last time, there’s no right or wrong way to do remote learning. It looks different in every school based on the context and needs of the families. What’s important is that we continually evaluate our effectiveness, seek feedback from all stakeholders and make changes when needed.

So, two years later, what has the pandemic taught me?

George Couros encourages us not to “bounce back” from this pandemic, but to “bounce forward”. Remember, disruption isn’t always a bad thing! Here are my top three takeaways from this pandemic that, I believe, have made me a better teacher.

Takeaway #1

Firstly, nothing compares to the classroom experience. Teaching online is fine. Learning still takes place and the experience is good enough. But, still, there is something special about a classroom community and environment that video conferencing platforms will never be able to replicate.

The pandemic has taught me to take full advantage of the unique benefits of being in the classroom, including opportunities for collaboration, conferring, hands-on learning and creativity.

Takeaway #2

Speaking of which, I’ve learnt to value creativity more than ever! In the early days of remote learning, my teaching lacked creativity, as did my students’ learning. I guess we were in “survival mode”, but as the pandemic went on, it was creativity that brought my lessons to life and kept us all motivated.

I realised that my students were learning far more when they could make something or express themselves creatively in other ways. It was clear that it was deepening their understanding of topics. They were enjoying them more, too!

Since then, I’ve been obsessive about injecting creativity into lessons. So much so that I have recently become the Innovation Lead at my school and a STEM consultant. I’m grateful to the pandemic for putting me on this path and opening my eyes to what really matters (and what doesn’t!).

Takeaway #3

Third, teachers can learn anything! Brené Brown states, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”

As teachers were thrown online, we became collectively vulnerable and needed to adapt quickly!

What followed was very intentional and urgent learning, and it was hugely successful. My hope is that this success breeds teacher efficacy. Let’s maintain a commitment to lifelong learning. We don’t need a pandemic for that.

Teachers Bring Edtech Tools to Life

I’ll end on this related thought that fills me with pride. As I revisit that previous article, I’m reminded of my emotions and mindset at that time of writing. It’s truly amazing to think of how far we’ve come as a profession and how many obstacles we’ve overcome under circumstances that were previously unthinkable. We should be incredibly proud.

Tools like Edpuzzle and countless others are invaluable for both remote and classroom learning, but they’re just that - tools. It’s awesome teachers who leverage those tools and make learning magical. It always has been.