Page 7 - Journal 89-3 Full

From the Editor

lthough experts may continue to question whether the COVID-19 pandemic is
A‟over” medically and economically, students generally are back in brick-and-
mortar classrooms throughout the world, and the ‟new normal” of hybrid learning
as needed is in place in most educational entities. Not surprisingly, however, many
continue to give considerable thought to the impact and lessons of this remarkable
occurence even as they seek to move forward with a consideration of best practices
and programs that make a difference in the normal course of educational policy and
delivery!
One positive outcome of the pandemic was that it further emphasized the
importance of educators and their well-being as key to the overall well-being of
students and systems. Appropriately, this issue opens with several authors exploring
this emphasis—for both new and veteran educators. Neal and Freeman discuss
the significance of ongoing teacher-induction programs, including those that use
the special talents of DKG members as resources, while Spangler considers the
importance of mentor-mentee pairing for special educators in an induction program.
Turning to a more general emphasis on well-being, Isbell and Miller suggest the
importance of promoting social-emotional learning for educators to alleviate
burnout. Also focusing on a healthy work climate, Lindgren provides a perspective
on Swedish research regarding the problems of sexual harassment and bullying in
academia.
To help ensure a positive environment for all, Sekulich recommends leadership
for collaborative decision-making—i.e., leadership that facilitates a synergistic
visioning process, develops shared understanding and ownership, and uses data
analysis and evidence from research literature to guide cooperative decision-making.
Reeves encourages stakeholders at every level to rethink exclusionary practices
that deprive certain students of basic access to learning, and Shockley and Morris
reveal a program that fills important access gaps for young people—in this case, by
providing an art camp as a solution to an art desert in Appalachia.
Closing the issue, Miyashiro returns to the impact of the pandemic with a narrative
qualitative study of how COVID-19 impacted the teaching of two veteran middle
school teachers in Hawaii. Their emphasis on the significance of human connection,
use of technology, and stakeholder support echoes themes in earlier articles even as
it reminds readers of three fairly basic concepts that help the key women educators
of DKG impact education worldwide.

Judith R. Merz, EdD
Editor

Educators’ Choice 5