By Jamie Bricker
Editor’s note: This installment continues our monthly series on the role of Affective Leadership in schools. Affective leadership focuses on leading with people—valuing, respecting, and listening to all stakeholders—rather than trying to manage around them. When teachers, students, and families feel genuinely heard and appreciated by administrators, they become more invested in the school. The pandemic has intensified the need for this kind of authentic connection.
Educators have navigated a year full of new and complex challenges. Administrators, teachers, and support staff deserve recognition for their efforts to keep students safe and learning in a constantly changing environment. As the school year reaches its midpoint, now is an important moment to reflect on which pandemic-driven changes should be retained because they strengthen schools for the long term.
Early in the crisis, fear and uncertainty shaped decisions; today we have clearer insight into what has worked and what needs adjustment. Many of the shifts implemented out of necessity have produced immediate benefits, and some reveal opportunities for permanent, positive change in school operations, teaching, and relationships.
Principals and leadership teams should now lead thoughtful conversations about which COVID-era practices to keep. By prioritizing the most constructive changes, schools can capture valuable lessons from this period and use them to improve learning, safety, and community engagement going forward.
Improved Communication
This fall has been dominated by fast-moving information—and misinformation—about the pandemic and its effects on education. Staff and families faced anxiety about returning to physical classrooms, managing virtual instruction, or adapting to hybrid schedules. With guidance and protocols shifting frequently, consistent, clear communication became essential.
School leaders rose to the challenge by keeping stakeholders informed and by striking the right balance between caution and optimism. The disciplined cadence, clarity, and tone of pandemic communication offer a model for more effective messaging in the future—helping build trust and reducing confusion when policies or routines must change.
Expanded Access to Educational Technology
The pandemic accelerated use of digital tools and prompted important conversations about the relative strengths of in-person and remote learning. While the ultimate aim is to get every student back into classrooms safely, the broader comfort with instructional technology has clear benefits: teachers and students are now using a wider set of tools, learners can proceed at individualized paces, students have more chances to articulate their reasoning, and classroom voices have diversified through digital platforms.
The crisis also exposed stark inequities in device availability and home Internet access across classrooms and districts. Recognizing and addressing these gaps must be part of recovery planning so all students have equitable access to digital learning resources. The pandemic has underscored that true educational opportunity now depends on reliable technology access for every child.
Greater Professional Autonomy for Teachers
Principals have been pulled in multiple directions this year, prioritizing safety, logistics, and rapid problem-solving over traditional instructional supervision. With in-person observation limited and learning split between in-class and remote students, many teachers operated with more independent authority than usual.
That increased autonomy has encouraged teachers to rely on professional judgment and creativity. When school leaders trust staff to make informed decisions, it builds professional respect and can lead to stronger collaboration and innovation in instruction over time.
Stronger Partnerships with Families
The pandemic demanded a deeper form of home–school collaboration. Rather than occasional contact, staff and families formed true partnerships focused on shared priorities—chiefly the safety and continuity of learning for students. In this environment, cooperation became essential: lapses by any party threatened the safety of the broader community.
Many teachers are parents themselves and brought that perspective into conversations, while parents gained a clearer view of the pressures school staff face. This shared experience nurtured empathy, reduced the impact of minor conflicts, and strengthened the foundation for ongoing cooperation between home and school.
Heightened Resilience
The uncertainty and stress of adapting to new routines required everyone to develop emotional stamina. Students learning remotely and those attending in person have all navigated unfamiliar territory, and staff balanced professional responsibilities with personal concerns.
Resilience isn’t a one-time lesson; it’s modeled and reinforced through everyday interactions. The collective perseverance shown by teachers, families, and administrators provided strong role models for students. The coping strategies and confidence developed during this period will help schools, families, and students meet future challenges with greater resolve.
About the Author
Jamie Bricker is a retired school principal, published author, and international speaker who advocates for affective leadership and its positive impact in education. He co-hosts podcasts, including Affective Leadership – Positivity Promotes Productivity, and writes weekly on leadership and school culture. Jamie shares his work on LinkedIn and can be reached by email at [email protected] or through his website at www.jamiebricker.com.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research and news organization focused on the transition to digital curriculum and educational technology.