Course: Honors Sociology 320 Sociology of Education (Spring 2021)
As a future educator, I found this course to be one of the most informative and eye-opening courses I have had during my time at Longwood. It is extremely important for teachers to be aware of the social issues that impact education, and this course allowed me to learn more about these issues through research. Over the course of the semester, our class conducted research to discover how education has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through conducting my own interview and reading through interviews done by my peers, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many pre-existing challenges and issues involved with the current state of our education system. Many common issues that stood out were the lack of resources in schools, the need for mental health awareness and support, and opinions and respect towards the teaching profession. All of these issues have persisted in schools, but the pandemic has forced a wider group of people to pay attention to the areas in schools that need improvement. Teachers have had to put in a large amount of time and effort, and in many cases, they are doing this without financial compensation or appreciation from families and faculty. Not only do they have a huge responsibility in delivering meaningful instruction to students, but they are trying to support students and families emotionally during these unforeseen times. This research emphasizes the important role teachers play in their students’ lives and the ways schools must be reformed to better support teachers and students.
Here is a link to our presentation: https://youtu.be/JVQ9kSis9Gg
(This course reflection can also be found under the “Civitae Perspective Courses” section)