The Slow Return to Normalcy
It’s hard to believe that another school year is well underway.
More students, faculty and staff than not have returned to
campus for full-time, in-person learning at K–12 and higher education
institutions around the country. The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t
in our rearview mirror quite yet, but after 18 months, it feels like
there’s very little to say about it that we haven’t heard a thousand
times. From wearing a mask to maintaining social distancing to
getting the (now FDA-approved) vaccine if you’re eligible, the basic
guidelines of living during a pandemic are pretty well established.
In the meantime, students especially seem enthused about the
opportunity to resume real life and see their friends again. The
benefits—both social and educational—of being surrounded by
our peers instead of staring at a computer screen are too many
to count. It’s nice being able to make small talk in the hallways
again, or for a teacher to notice a wave of confusion ripple across
the class during a lecture and clarify a point in real time. It’s not
as nice having to set your alarm for 7 a.m. instead of 7:45 for an 8
a.m. class, but every situation has its drawbacks.
The content in this issue of Spaces4Learning reflects our odd
hybrid state of getting back to normal, but still being mindful of a
pandemic. You’ll find pieces on how schools can best utilize ESSER
funds. The importance of handwashing and other basic hygiene
practices. How schools can maintain and monitor indoor air quality.
But you’ll also get a glimpse of what vendors and educational
institutions alike have been up to in the last year and a half. This
glimpse comes via the results of our summer awards program,
New Product of the Year, and our fall awards, the Education Design
Showcase. The New Product Award program celebrates the
exemplary product development achievements of manufacturers
and vendors in the education industry. And the Education Design
Showcase lets institutions show off innovative and practical solutions
in planning, design, architecture and construction. All of
the winners in both competitions represent the finest instances of
ingenuity, resiliency and resourcefulness under pressure.
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of Spaces4Learning.
About the Author
Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at mjones@1105media.com.