For most teachers, this transition happened swiftly with little to no warning. Many were told to immediately transition to online learning with little support, instruction, or preparation time. Many had never used an online teaching platform. Many had never used videoconferencing technology. Yet, teachers quickly pivoted, putting in long hours in efforts to cobble together some semblance of science instruction for the remainder of the school year. They devoted enormous amounts of time planning, digitizing, uploading assignments, delivering instruction, and assessing student work, all in an attempt to stay one step ahead. And despite this investment, they struggled to inspire engagement or enthusiasm from students who were trying to figure out how to navigate this new reality themselves. 

Unfortunately, online learning represented a best-case scenario at that time. Where school districts were not able to provide their students with computers, tablets, or internet access, historic inequities in access to technology magnified inequities in access to learning (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). Although some students were able to secure these resources on their own, others essentially stopped going to school. Teaching stopped. Learning stopped. This scenario is particularly troubling if one considers the schools most impacted in these ways, namely small schools in rural areas and schools serving large percentages of high-poverty students. For example, 41 percent of teachers in rural areas reported students did not have internet access, compared to 61 percent of teachers in suburban areas (Berger, Kuang, Jerry, & Freund, 2022; Stelitano, et al, 2020). 

As the pandemic persisted into the 2020–21 school year, parents, teachers, students, and schools were faced with the decisions about how to proceed. Many schools opted to begin the school year entirely online while others opted to return fully in person. Still others took a hybrid approach in which small groups of students participated in in-person instruction on select days of the week while others participated virtually (Oster, et al, 2021). Learning models shifted throughout the 2020–21 school year, with virtual learning waning and in-person learning gradually increasing. By the end of the school year, in-person and hybrid modes were much more common than virtual-only learning. However, in-person and hybrid models, while generally best for student learning, brought a host of health and safety measures and protocols that teachers were asked to implement and enforce in addition to their already overwhelming workloads. These included face masks, face shields, plexiglass dividers, temperature checks, frequent handwashing, and desk disinfecting to name a few.

Regardless of the learning model, teachers were still responsible for teaching science content and, in some cases, preparing students for state-mandated and/or Advanced Placement (AP) exams.1 For some science teachers, the topic of viruses was a natural fit with their required curriculum. Others had to integrate COVID-focused instruction in more creative ways, often in connection with lessons on adaptations or the nature of science. Still others covered COVID as a standalone topic, choosing to discuss this historic event even if it meant sacrificing time spent on required course content.

As might be expected, students had a lot of questions about COVID, and science teachers were the ones they naturally turned to for answers. Science teachers fielded student questions related to the virus itself (e.g., what it is, where it came from), how it is transmitted, and the efficacy of health and safety measures, including social distancing, masking, and hand washing. As the pandemic wore on, students approached teachers with questions about vaccines, confused about the polarized viewpoints they were hearing from adults in their families, communities, and the country at large. However, students also approached teachers with questions that went beyond science content, frequently looking for an outlet to voice their fears, concerns, and frustrations. Teachers had to toggle between attending to students’ social emotional needs and their learning, and at times these overlapped.

However, students were not the only ones who experienced emotional distress. More than a quarter of schools reported increases in teachers seeking mental health services.2 Many teachers struggled to find a balance between their work life and home life, torn between the need to take care of themselves and their families and the expectation (imposed by themselves and others) that they put students first. Teachers mourned the loss of loved ones — but showed up for school the next day. Teachers battled anxiety and depression — but showed up for school the next day. Teachers managed underlying health conditions, including autoimmune diseases and chronic health conditions — but showed up for school the next day. Because, no matter what was going on in their lives, teachers were determined not to let their students down.

Although the 2021–22 school year brought about some measure of normalcy, impacts of the previous two years were widely felt. These impacts included student learning loss, emotional distress, and behavioral problems stemming from underdeveloped social skills. In fact, two-thirds of schools reported that the pandemic played a major role in students being behind grade level to start the school year, and more than three-fourths reported that the pandemic negatively impacted their students’ behavioral development (Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). It was not as simple as bringing kids back into classrooms and moving forward with business as usual. Teachers found themselves picking up pieces and trying to put schools and students back together, often while still navigating COVID-related restrictions.

The following vignettes highlight 40 science teachers’ experiences teaching during the COVID pandemic. These vignettes encapsulate the range of events, activities, practices, and feelings that were part of teachers’ daily lives during this time. While the stories certainly share some similarities, they are as unique as the teachers who shared them with us. Our hope is that in contrast to the widely circulating facts and figures about the impacts of the pandemic, the vignettes will serve to humanize this moment in time by sharing teachers’ stories in their own words. But above all, we hope the vignettes will lead to a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the monumental effort science teachers shouldered in providing accurate and timely scientific information in challenging, frightening, and often contentious times.