During my sudden plunge into virtual teaching, I never could have imagined eventually being grateful for the way a global pandemic transformed my life..

Virtual teaching happened instantly; it was exceptionally challenging and continuously evolving.

While the mute button is a teacher’s secret favorite feature, teaching through trauma from a distance was one of the hardest things I hope I will ever have to do. I wasn’t able to support my students as they navigate a scary new world, teach them in engaging hands-on learning experiences, or provide them with any insights into when we will get back to normal.

The ways I learned and grew through this process have lead me to develop a completely new skill set, refine my leadership skills, and start to think about teaching adults and instructional design.

During virtual learning, I was recruited by the Curriculum and Instruction department in my school district to facilitate online learning for all the 4th and 5th grade students. I was tasked with creating instructional materials and recording videos of lessons to be pushed to students. This work was a behemoth undertaking, yet the ignition of a passion for instructional design drove me to dive into the work and push myself out of my comfort zone.