Reclaiming Humanity in Schools: A Practical Guide for Educators and Leaders

Overview

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators have felt a profound sense of demoralization—not just burnout, but a deep erosion of the values that drew them to teaching. The challenges of online learning, lost instructional time, and fractured relationships have persisted even as the official health crisis ended. Yet amidst this landscape, there is a growing recognition that school can and must become more human again. This guide draws on the insights of a veteran educator who moved from demoralization to revitalization by embracing the full school community—every adult who contributes to a student’s sense of belonging. It offers a step-by-step plan for educators, instructional coaches, and leaders to rebuild a human-centered school environment. You’ll learn how to acknowledge the ongoing crisis, leverage the strengths of all staff members, foster mutual respect, and use your voice to advocate for change. The goal is not a quick fix, but a sustainable shift toward empathy and collective responsibility.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the steps, ensure you have the following foundations in place:

• Commitment to reflection: Willingness to examine your own experiences of demoralization or burnout, and openness to change.
• Understanding of the post-COVID context: Recognize that the pandemic was not just an event but a context that reshaped education. The challenges—like fragmented social skills and strained relationships—remain, often less visible.
• Collaborative mindset: Belief that the work of making school human involves every adult, not just teachers. Prepare to engage custodians, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, counselors, and others.
• Access to a support network: Identify colleagues, administration, or professional groups (e.g., fellowships like Voices of Change) who can amplify your efforts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Acknowledge the Crisis Context

Start by naming the reality. In faculty meetings, professional development sessions, or one-on-one conversations, explicitly state that the pandemic’s effects are ongoing—even if the world has moved on. Use the framing from Going the Distance: a crisis is not just the event but the context and response. Ask your colleagues: “What changed permanently? What do we still need to address?” This honest acknowledgment validates feelings of exhaustion and creates a shared starting point. Example discussion prompt: “Think of one relationship that was harder to rebuild after COVID. What support would have helped?”

Step 2: Recognize the Village—All Staff Matter

Make a deliberate effort to name and appreciate every role in the school community. The original article listed child welfare staff, paraeducators, campus supervisors, guidance counselors, cafeteria workers, coaches, librarians, custodians, and secretaries. Create a visual map of your school’s “village.” At a staff meeting, invite representatives from these groups to share how they see students struggling or succeeding. Then, develop joint strategies—for example, cafeteria workers can alert teachers when a student seems withdrawn, and teachers can share positive notes with custodians. This breaks down silos and reinforces that everyone is a caretaker of humanity.

Step 3: Foster Mutual Respect and Empathy as Baseline Expectations

Lead by example. Model active listening and empathy in all interactions. Create explicit norms for respectful communication, and hold everyone—including yourself—accountable. Use restorative practices when conflicts arise. A simple yet powerful activity: each week, have one staff member (rotating through all roles) share a short “human moment” about a connection with a student. This builds a culture where empathy is not just taught but lived. Also, embed empathy into classroom practice—students should see teachers treating every adult with dignity.

Step 4: Use Your Voice—Write, Speak, and Advocate

You don’t have to be a published author. Start small: write a blog post for your school newsletter, present at a staff meeting, or join a podcast panel. The original author found power in the Voices of Change fellowship, which enabled essays for EdSurge, Edutopia, and other outlets. Identify your platform. If writing feels daunting, record a video reflection or lead a discussion group on topics like social-emotional learning or culturally responsive teaching. The key is to amplify the message that human connection matters—and that teachers are not alone. Share your insights on overcoming demoralization and the importance of the whole village.

Step 5: Support Teachers and Each Other

Instructional coaches, administrators, and veteran educators must proactively support demoralized colleagues. This goes beyond professional development—it means protecting planning time, celebrating small wins, and creating opportunities for teachers to voice frustrations without judgment. One strategy: form “humanity circles”—small groups that meet biweekly to discuss non-academic student needs and share resources. Another is to pair teachers with non-teaching staff (like a librarian or secretary) for mutual check-ins. These relationships remind everyone that the work of making school human is collective, not solely on teachers’ shoulders.

Common Mistakes

• Treating demoralization as burnout: Burnout can be fixed with time off, but demoralization requires addressing the erosion of values. Don’t just offer self-care tips—engage in deeper conversations about purpose.
• Focusing only on academic recovery: Many schools rushed to make up for lost learning, ignoring social-emotional needs. That can worsen disconnection. Prioritize relationships alongside instruction.
• Leaving out non-teaching staff: It’s easy to default to faculty-only initiatives. But custodians, cafeteria workers, and secretaries often have crucial insights and connections. Include them in planning and recognition.
• Underestimating the power of a single voice: Some educators feel powerless to change a system. But sharing your story—in a meeting, an article, or a podcast—can inspire others and shift culture. Don’t stay silent.
• Ignoring the ongoing context: Pretending the pandemic is over can lead to unrealistic expectations. Acknowledge that many challenges persist and adjust your approach accordingly.

Summary

Making school human again is not a one-time initiative but an ongoing commitment. It begins with honest acknowledgment of the post-COVID crisis, expands to include every adult in the school community, and requires consistent modeling of respect and empathy. By using your voice to advocate, you can transform demoralization into revitalization—just as the original author did through the Voices of Change fellowship. This guide provides a practical starting point: name the context, map your village, build a culture of mutual respect, speak up, and support each other. When the world feels on fire, teaching students to claim their humanity—together with all the villagers—is the most important work we can do.