There are many lessons that have been learned over the past 18 months - some of these lessons are ones we hope to never have to learn again, but others we consider our "COVID keepers". "COVID keepers" are the new strategies, tools, and methods we want to hold on to that literally help us meet the needs of students and families wherever they are.
Some of the most glaring "COVID keepers" include holding virtual parent conferences, the use of Google Classroom to keep things organized, and using electronic devices to limit our use of copies! At Innovageous, we believe that identifying and holding on to your "COVID keepers" as you move into the 2021-22 school year is key. There are both network/district level and school level "COVID keepers" to explore.
Our thoughts on "COVID keepers" were featured on the National Association of Charter School Authorizer's blog, which you can take a look at here! We also have been working with school leaders to engage their staff in using "COVID keepers" for strategic action planning for the upcoming year.
This August, we spent time with the Robeson High School community in Philadelphia planning for the year ahead. Through a 2 day session, we engaged the school staff in exploring their "COVID keepers", thinking through how these apply to areas of rigor, technology integration, social emotional learning, and student engagement. Through their work, they identified a student facing priority of daily check-ins and a school-wide universal check-in for students. They also outlined their vision for each of the areas named above and identified priority actions for each area during the year. This information was used to create student and staff facing visual displays that are posted throughout the school!
