The school in times of pandemic: a personal and professional perspective

ABSTRACT

This article explores the intersectionalities of teaching, and the personal and professional identity of a Primary Education teacher who reflects what it meant to be a teacher during the pandemic, his experiences of teaching and learning, his relationships with the students, and his future perspectives. Using an autoethnographic approach, we draw on autobiographical narratives to delve into how teaching subjectivities are constructed to advance knowledge on a new way of being a teacher in the context of a health world crisis. In the telling, we attempt to engage the reader by communicating the subjectivity of different moments in a provocative, fragmented, physical, and emotional manner. The results suggest that the personal and professional identities shifted and evolved over the course of the pandemic. Also, the results reflect that narratives, such as those presented in this article, contribute to understanding the reconstruction of the teaching identity, in line with reconfigured relationships with students, his son, and a renewed commitment to make the school a pleasant, close place again, where friendship, tranquillity, and hugs are possible.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• relationships
• narratives
• autoethnography
• teaching
• children

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).