Like with the economy, education leaders are pondering how, when and under what circumstances schools should be re-opened in the coming months. Very tough and challenging decisions are to be made soon. And it starts with the very idea of “re-opening”. It might be an inaccurate concept since it implies a simple flipping of the switch. Presto! … we are back to where we were when we closed.
Well, to my way of thinking it will be less like a re-opening and more like a re-entry … into a vast education ecosystem that, since we last were there, has undergone dramatic changes in mind, body, and soul. The complexity of re-entry is captured in another thought-provoking blog by Rich Long called “Before the Pencils Are Picked Up”. While Rich writes about “critical needs and considerations for schools when reopening”, he is indeed visualizing a return to something much different that demands new ideas, new strategies and new ways for thinking about and delivering instruction in the future. The new normal, no less. Get ready to re-enter!
