Face it, not all information is equally important. Instead of teaching all standards with the same intensity — the equivalent of a mile wide and an inch deep — spend most of the time on the material that is most vital. “Shift your mindset and determine what’s essential for this year,” Siano said. Those are your “power standards,” she said. Usually, power standards consist of material foundational to the student’s upcoming year and material required by the Regents, she said.  

Use consistent assessments to monitor students’ progress and use data from those assessments to differentiate teaching. Instead of instructing all students based on the gaps of some, use assessments to find out what they know and determine what comes next. “We have to dial into each student’s needs and their learning style,” said Siano.

It is imperative that teachers know what is going on in students’ lives, both in and out of school. Poverty, addiction, absent parents and other traumas impact a student’s ability to learn and grow. While these are not new problems, they are more widespread in the wake of COVID-19, and teachers need to pay attention to the cues students are giving them and respond accordingly, Siano said.  

Make sure your own physical and emotional needs are being met. Conduct regular self-assessments: Are you getting enough sleep? Enough to eat? Are you feeling isolated? Talk with colleagues about the importance of self-care, too. Remember, a teacher’s own mental health is going to determine how effective that educator is. “We have to be gentle and kind to ourselves” Siano said. “It impacts how you teach.”