The long road back: a longitudinal qualitative investigation of teacher experiences through COVID-19

While school campus shutdowns and reopenings have occurred in the past, none have impacted schooling on a global level as has the COVID-19 pandemic. This longitudinal qualitative investigation examined teachers’ experiences across a southern U.S. state from March 2020 until July 2022 through numerous interviews and focus groups. The year 3 themes included student impacts and structural changes. Emergent themes compared longitudinally across all three study years included the evolving instructional needs of teachers as well as social emotional needs of teachers and students. The lived experiences of teachers revealed the needs of protecting teacher autonomy and delivering necessary training in implementing various technological platforms. Districts and leadership teams must proactively address gaps caused and revealed by the pandemic.