成人抖阴

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For New Orleans middle school principal Laura Adelman-Cannon, the new normal means she has held down two jobs since the academic year began. 

Besides running the school of 550 students, Adelman-Cannon is also serving as the sixth-grade English teacher 鈥� missing out on hours of sleep and time with her family after a long day at the International School of Louisiana, Uptown Campus.

She鈥檚 doing double duty because finding new, qualified teachers for her middle school has been a 鈥渘ightmare,鈥� she said.

鈥淏y no means do I want to valorize it 鈥� I’m doing it because it’s in the best interest of my kids,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut boy, I really wish I had an amazing sixth-grade English 鈥� teacher so I could just be a principal.鈥�

As educators leave the profession from what Adelman-Cannon suspects is burnout and pressure on teachers accelerated by the pandemic, she has struggled to find a qualified English teacher with experience.

鈥淚 think teachers are exhausted. They are also traumatized, to some extent, from the pandemic,鈥� she said, adding she needed a sixth-grade English teacher who was certified and experienced. 

鈥淚 just couldn’t find (one),鈥� Adelman-Cannon said. 鈥淵ou could always find ELA teachers. But not anymore.鈥�

I’m doing it because it’s in the best interest of my kids… but boy, I really wish I had an amazing sixth-grade English鈥�teacher so I could just be a principal.

Principal Laura Adelman-Cannon, New Orleans, LA

Across the country, educators say the new normal in schools is taking a toll: Canceled classes because of teacher shortages. Students are late to school because of bus driver shortages. Cafeterias serving meals on repeat because of inflation and supply shortages. Students and staff are depressed. 

There鈥檚 no doubt Adelman-Cannon loves her students and the class time she鈥檚 getting with them. But doing two jobs is far from ideal. As a teacher, she wishes she had a planning period. She wishes she could be pulling students aside after class for remediation.

But she can鈥檛. She鈥檚 the principal.

Being in the classroom has also allowed her to witness some alarming behavior: Her students fall asleep in class, even during usually-engaging group activities. She鈥檚 also seen them talking to themselves. 

鈥淚 have kids sleeping in my class, like so much more than I’ve ever had,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey’ll be right inside a fishbowl discussion, right with me in a discussion, with their heads down, asleep.

鈥淚’m not a mental health professional. I think there’s some depression,鈥� she said. 鈥淧utting your head down sleeping, not caring, no, like, no perseverance, to the point of not doing any [work], just not doing it. Those are the behaviors of concern.鈥�

She believes these are behaviors students picked up while learning remotely that will take time to unlearn. Many seem to have forgotten they鈥檙e back in a classroom, surrounded by peers and educators. 

鈥淚 see them, like talk to themselves and I鈥檓 like, 鈥榳e can hear you. You’re not by yourself. You’re not saying that in your head.鈥� There鈥檚 a lot of resocialization going on.鈥�

Beyond sleeping in class, Adelman-Cannon鈥檚 students aren鈥檛 turning in their assignments at alarming rates. She鈥檚 concerned she鈥檒l have to fail many more than she ever has.

鈥淚 can reteach skills, I can scaffold skills, I can change the book, but I can鈥檛 change that desire if there’s no motivation,鈥� she said.

She feels as though she鈥檚 out of tricks and tools for engaging students. No incentives 鈥� not even parties in the principal鈥檚 office 鈥� seem to be working.

But Adelman-Cannon, who has been a principal for 25 years, is certain the school will adjust and recover from the pandemic. Much of this optimism comes from teaching through another crisis: Hurricane Katrina. 

鈥淚 knew I could get through the pandemic and I could get through this time because I’ve been through Katrina,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have lost everything. I have rebuilt my educational teaching world 鈥� rebuilt a school post Katrina 鈥� I know it is hard, but I know I can do it now because I did it before.鈥�

She believes the school is once again weathering the storm. The staff who are there, she said, are committed and bullish.

鈥淭hey are seeing successes, it does feel more normal, and they are now able to see some of the rewards,鈥� she said.

One of their biggest successes this year, Adelman-Cannon believes, is the school鈥檚 commitment to students鈥� mental health. 

鈥淲e can’t learn anything if we are not healthy and our children are really in need of therapy 鈥� like all of them,鈥� Adelman-Cannon said. 鈥淚 wish I could give every child a therapist.鈥�

She did the next best thing by hiring a social worker and a licensed counselor. She hopes this will help her kids pull through. 

鈥淚 have 100% faith in my teachers and our parents and our kids. We’re gonna come out the other end, better, stronger, more flexible thinkers,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith the greater ability to handle all the challenges that life throws at us and we’re gonna get there together.鈥�

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