P R E FAC E
In March 2020, the COVID-19 global health pandemic changed how we experience the world around us. Essential employees—first responders, health care workers, food service and grocery employees, and government and city workers, among others—were on the front lines of the pandemic. Teachers and students were thrust into online platforms and away from their classroom desks, learning new tools and implementing them in real time. While people worldwide engaged with this crisis, certain populations had significant differences in how they experienced the pandemic. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021) revealed populations that were considered at higher risk for COVID-related illness and death: those who had significant pre-existing health conditions and those who experienced inequities in social determinants of health. The CDC (2021) issued guidelines such as hand washing, social distancing, and mask wearing that helped decrease the risk. Structural inequities also contributed to level of risk. In particular, identity informed and impacted how people experienced the global pandemic in terms of care, follow-up, and even health advice. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2021) states: Race or ethnicity, sex, sexual identity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location all contribute to an individual’s ability to achieve good health. It is important to recognize the impact that social determinants have on health outcomes of specific populations.
The disparities exposed by COVID-19 require us, as educators, to become conscious of identity and the role it plays in our lives, our schools, and our communities. Since 2008, I have traveled around the United States and worked with over 275 schools, organizations, corporations, associations, and leadership teams as they engage in difficult conversations about teaching and learning. While I focus on creating actionable teaching plans, lesson plans, leadership plans, and strategic plans with them, I spend a significant amount of time asking participants, “Who are you?” I encourage them to reflect on how their identities inform and impact what they do, how they act, and how they interact with the world around them.
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