**1. Introduction**

Adversity and crises are commonplace throughout the world, with most individuals having experienced at least one adverse event in their lifetime. Yet these experiences and the ability to effectively adapt to them vary significantly from person to person [1, 2]. Significant events such as school shootings, natural disasters, and societal unrest have regularly gained national attention and created crises in educational systems that required responses. Adverse events have shown us that all contexts of individual lives are impacted, including educational environments, and that no one environment will solely be influenced [1, 3, 4]. Therefore, in the face of the current pandemic, we must recognize the impact on all spheres of an individual's life when designing education and learning opportunities. The previous crisis events were on a small scale, short-term basis, and did not create the type of

disruption that has been seen in the current pandemic. Covid-19 has presented a crisis that has influenced the entire globe and has fundamentally altered education as we know it. Being quickly found to spread via person-to-person transmission, the widespread response to Covid-19 was to implement social distancing measures, including at times quarantine, designed to curb the spread [5, 6]. Consistent messages from leaders in governments across the world emphasized the concept of flattening the curve, by measures such as staying indoors, working from home where possible, the closures of businesses and schools, and avoiding social gatherings [5–9].

While Covid-19 is not the only crisis that the educational system has ever faced, it is the one with the most widespread impact and that has posted the greatest number of challenges to overcome. In all of the other crisis experienced, the educational system did not have to make the shift away from in person instruction the way that they have in response to Covid-19. This past year has uprooted the world of education and has pulled the curtain open to just how unprepared educators and systems of education are for crisis situations. Covid-19 created a fast and unique challenge to educational systems, many of which were not equipped to pivot and change course. Educators were asked in a matter of days to completely shift from traditional education modalities to emergency remote learning, in many cases without the skills and resources to do so [10, 11]. As a result of this quick changing landscape of uncertainty, educators were forced to pivot to creative models for instructional delivery including online methods, both synchronous and asynchronous, hybrid models, and flipped classrooms. The introduction and incorporation of learning management systems became commonplace with many students and educators quickly being pushed out of their comfort zones and into educational environments that they were not equipped to manage [8, 11]. While some educators may have been prepared to face such a situation, the vast majority had to make major overhauls to their teaching in a short time without the training, support, or emotional bandwidth necessary [8, 11, 12]. These demands added pressure to already stressed and under resourced educators who were transitioning out of their classrooms and into their homes. Classrooms where boards and erasers sat empty while bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and closets became home offices. It was clear through the immediate change of course that the priority was safety rather of students, educators, and society rather than learning experiences [9–11]. Initial messages received from educational systems and administrators to maintain the continuity of instructional methods and academic rigor, quickly shifted into how can we keep students from being overwhelmed and ensure they feel supported [10]? Educators were often expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools.

While initially many may have been pleased by the thought of having an extended break from school, the reality of what it meant to alter the instructional process so vastly coupled with the uncertainty as to when a return to education as usual could occur quickly created stress and confusion in many educators and students [9]. Both Educators and students quickly faced challenges related to technology, travel restrictions impacted foreign exchange students, isolation, and mental health exacerbations [8, 9, 13, 14]. In the absence of typical preparation time, the result was a chaotic transition in which educators attempted to transfer learning environments built upon face-to-face dynamics online in most cases to whatever learning management system their school system had access to [11]. This type of disruption has widespread emotional influences for both students and educators related to identity, safety, and success. Even instructors who have well-established identities as educators will experience stress and anxiety in the face of change and uncertainty. Technology such as laptop computers, cell phones, and tablets that

**235**

*Intentional Teaching: Building Resiliency and Trauma-Sensitive Cultures in Schools*

were once seen as detrimental to the learning process and banned from schools,

Covid-19 has impacted the lives of educators and students far beyond the learning environment and such contextual factors cannot be ignored if we are to effectively provide instruction in times of uncertainty. The loss of face-to-face interactions was a necessary sacrifice to ensure the safety of the larger population, implying that staying home and social distancing equated to safety [8, 9, 14]. Yet it was not just the educators who were asked to quickly transition to remote learning and to move out of the traditional classroom and into their homes for a vastly different educational experience. For many students' home does offer the safety that it was conceptualized to, and in many cases it created a profound loss of a school environment that allowed time away from challenging home environments [15, 16] It is important to recognize that for some students home is not a safe environment nor is it always conducive to academic achievement [8, 10, 15, 16]. These challenges for students are intensified by the lack of support from the school environment, community supports, and isolation created by social distancing guidelines [11, 16]. In addition to the vast disparities in home environments [8], geographic distance can directly contribute to teacher and student isolation. Educators became increasingly crucial in providing effective social interactions and assisting in combatting isolation that has been experienced by many. New educator responsibilities increasingly include reassuring students and parents, assisting students in the management of their learning resources, and finding creative ways build virtual communities. While online instruction has been commonplace for quite some time there is a stark difference between individuals who sign up for an online course and those who are forced into it without preparation. The flexibility that is touted as a major benefit to online learning may not be experienced by many students as access to technology, support, and resources to make online learning a success simply does not exist [6, 7, 10, 17]. While online education is not a new phenomenon, its widespread emergency implementation was wrought with challenges due to the lack of preparedness in educational systems for such a crisis [6–9]. While most educational systems implement some form of technology, many did not incorporate online learning platforms that could readily sustain a shift of such magnitude to a fully online environment [8, 9]. While there exists a plethora of digital technology to transition in traditional teaching models to the online environment, the incorporation of such models requires planning, resources, and effective training, none of

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96571*

which the current pandemic afforded [6–9].

Education provides a stabilizing element for children throughout the world and its absence has been felt, recognized, and appreciated, which represents a perspective shift from previous dependence on it and the expectation of it. Educators and systems of education should seek to harness this recognition and the challenges experienced in the face of an emergency transition to remote learning to create a path forward that strengthens not only our ability to deliver instruction but also our preparedness for the future [11]. We are uniquely poised amid the current pandemic, after the rush of the emergency transition of Spring 2020 has ended, to recognize the critical role that education plays in every aspect of our society and the widespread impact that is felt when "education as usual" dissipates. While the hope of a return to "normal" exists in the hearts of educators and educational systems worldwide, these experiences can be utilized to not only inform ongoing pedagogy but also to further develop the multiple pathways to learning available to educators and students [6–9, 11, 14]. Thus, it is useful to explore both the challenges and successes experienced during this time to not only ensure success in the future but to also to incorporate the strengths that have emerged into ongoing pedagogy and to

create intentional teaching strategies that will lead us into the "new normal."

quicky became the catalyst for instructional delivery.

#### *Intentional Teaching: Building Resiliency and Trauma-Sensitive Cultures in Schools DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96571*

were once seen as detrimental to the learning process and banned from schools, quicky became the catalyst for instructional delivery.

Covid-19 has impacted the lives of educators and students far beyond the learning environment and such contextual factors cannot be ignored if we are to effectively provide instruction in times of uncertainty. The loss of face-to-face interactions was a necessary sacrifice to ensure the safety of the larger population, implying that staying home and social distancing equated to safety [8, 9, 14]. Yet it was not just the educators who were asked to quickly transition to remote learning and to move out of the traditional classroom and into their homes for a vastly different educational experience. For many students' home does offer the safety that it was conceptualized to, and in many cases it created a profound loss of a school environment that allowed time away from challenging home environments [15, 16] It is important to recognize that for some students home is not a safe environment nor is it always conducive to academic achievement [8, 10, 15, 16]. These challenges for students are intensified by the lack of support from the school environment, community supports, and isolation created by social distancing guidelines [11, 16]. In addition to the vast disparities in home environments [8], geographic distance can directly contribute to teacher and student isolation. Educators became increasingly crucial in providing effective social interactions and assisting in combatting isolation that has been experienced by many. New educator responsibilities increasingly include reassuring students and parents, assisting students in the management of their learning resources, and finding creative ways build virtual communities.

While online instruction has been commonplace for quite some time there is a stark difference between individuals who sign up for an online course and those who are forced into it without preparation. The flexibility that is touted as a major benefit to online learning may not be experienced by many students as access to technology, support, and resources to make online learning a success simply does not exist [6, 7, 10, 17]. While online education is not a new phenomenon, its widespread emergency implementation was wrought with challenges due to the lack of preparedness in educational systems for such a crisis [6–9]. While most educational systems implement some form of technology, many did not incorporate online learning platforms that could readily sustain a shift of such magnitude to a fully online environment [8, 9]. While there exists a plethora of digital technology to transition in traditional teaching models to the online environment, the incorporation of such models requires planning, resources, and effective training, none of which the current pandemic afforded [6–9].

Education provides a stabilizing element for children throughout the world and its absence has been felt, recognized, and appreciated, which represents a perspective shift from previous dependence on it and the expectation of it. Educators and systems of education should seek to harness this recognition and the challenges experienced in the face of an emergency transition to remote learning to create a path forward that strengthens not only our ability to deliver instruction but also our preparedness for the future [11]. We are uniquely poised amid the current pandemic, after the rush of the emergency transition of Spring 2020 has ended, to recognize the critical role that education plays in every aspect of our society and the widespread impact that is felt when "education as usual" dissipates. While the hope of a return to "normal" exists in the hearts of educators and educational systems worldwide, these experiences can be utilized to not only inform ongoing pedagogy but also to further develop the multiple pathways to learning available to educators and students [6–9, 11, 14]. Thus, it is useful to explore both the challenges and successes experienced during this time to not only ensure success in the future but to also to incorporate the strengths that have emerged into ongoing pedagogy and to create intentional teaching strategies that will lead us into the "new normal."

*Teacher Education in the 21st Century - Emerging Skills for a Changing World*

gatherings [5–9].

disruption that has been seen in the current pandemic. Covid-19 has presented a crisis that has influenced the entire globe and has fundamentally altered education as we know it. Being quickly found to spread via person-to-person transmission, the widespread response to Covid-19 was to implement social distancing measures, including at times quarantine, designed to curb the spread [5, 6]. Consistent messages from leaders in governments across the world emphasized the concept of flattening the curve, by measures such as staying indoors, working from home where possible, the closures of businesses and schools, and avoiding social

While Covid-19 is not the only crisis that the educational system has ever faced,

it is the one with the most widespread impact and that has posted the greatest number of challenges to overcome. In all of the other crisis experienced, the educational system did not have to make the shift away from in person instruction the way that they have in response to Covid-19. This past year has uprooted the world of education and has pulled the curtain open to just how unprepared educators and systems of education are for crisis situations. Covid-19 created a fast and unique challenge to educational systems, many of which were not equipped to pivot and change course. Educators were asked in a matter of days to completely shift from traditional education modalities to emergency remote learning, in many cases without the skills and resources to do so [10, 11]. As a result of this quick changing landscape of uncertainty, educators were forced to pivot to creative models for instructional delivery including online methods, both synchronous and asynchronous, hybrid models, and flipped classrooms. The introduction and incorporation of learning management systems became commonplace with many students and educators quickly being pushed out of their comfort zones and into educational environments that they were not equipped to manage [8, 11]. While some educators may have been prepared to face such a situation, the vast majority had to make major overhauls to their teaching in a short time without the training, support, or emotional bandwidth necessary [8, 11, 12]. These demands added pressure to already stressed and under resourced educators who were transitioning out of their classrooms and into their homes. Classrooms where boards and erasers sat empty while bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and closets became home offices. It was clear through the immediate change of course that the priority was safety rather of students, educators, and society rather than learning experiences [9–11]. Initial messages received from educational systems and administrators to maintain the continuity of instructional methods and academic rigor, quickly shifted into how can we keep students from being overwhelmed and ensure they feel supported [10]? Educators were often expected to reach unattainable goals with

While initially many may have been pleased by the thought of having an extended break from school, the reality of what it meant to alter the instructional process so vastly coupled with the uncertainty as to when a return to education as usual could occur quickly created stress and confusion in many educators and students [9]. Both Educators and students quickly faced challenges related to technology, travel restrictions impacted foreign exchange students, isolation, and mental health exacerbations [8, 9, 13, 14]. In the absence of typical preparation time, the result was a chaotic transition in which educators attempted to transfer learning environments built upon face-to-face dynamics online in most cases to whatever learning management system their school system had access to [11]. This type of disruption has widespread emotional influences for both students and educators related to identity, safety, and success. Even instructors who have well-established identities as educators will experience stress and anxiety in the face of change and uncertainty. Technology such as laptop computers, cell phones, and tablets that

**234**

inadequate tools.
