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April 9, 2025
In this honest and insightful blog, Amber Chandler shares her students’ raw, post-pandemic perspectives on learning, connection, and what they hope the future of education will look like.
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I’m excited to announce that I’m writing a new book, but I’m also extremely intimidated by the topic, which is unusual for me. I typically dive headfirst into things, but this book is different. Why? I feel like the stakes are much higher for this, as they seem to be for everything else lately as well. I don’t have a “for sure” title yet, but I could call it “What the Hell Do We Do Now? Education in a Scared New World” or “So, What’s the Plan? Education in a Post-Pandemic World.” I want to figure out our next steps, and as per my usual, I like to write my way through my thinking. However, before I write a word of this new book, I wanted to ask my students what it is that they really, really want from school. I gave a quick survey that you can view here, on a random Friday, hoping to gather their gut reactions. Keep reading to see some of the wisdom about education and a list of “wants” from my 13-year-olds (who were in third grade when the world shut down). They gave me lots to think about, and as educators, I know you’ll hear them (and heed them).
“Some of my friends are somewhat nervous to socialize out of school, so school gives me an opportunity to socialize with those people.”
“The clubs—especially Writing Club, GSA and Stage Crew.”
”My favorite part is socializing and being about to see my friends during class.”
“My favorite part of school is socializing. Outside of school I don’t get many opportunities to meet people, but in school I’m with 400 other people the same age as me for six hours a day.”
“I want to change the atmosphere about school because I feel like everywhere I go, no one wants to be there.”
“People caring too much about small things. I believe school is about the bigger picture of academics.”
“I wish I could overcome my anxiety. I have really bad anxiety, and I hope I can overcome it.”
“I wish we could do more group work and that people are more responsible for their actions.”
“I wish that we were responsible enough to be more trusted with our phones.”
“I wish some teachers would connect with their students more often.”
“I wish that kids could pick what they want to learn.”
“I wish school started later in the day.”
“I would like to use less technology. I am sick of it.”
“I’d like a free period in the middle of the day to relax and let your brain process what you did.”
“I would change having to wake up at 5:30 a.m.”
“I think we need to learn more about the real world and how to apply that in a job rather than how to graph a line and who is the 17th president.”
”I think we need to learn how to better manage our time and work, as well as what paths to take depending on our career interests.”
”I would like to learn how to connect thoughts together better and some of the stuff we missed during COVID.”
“I think we should learn some common skills that EVERYONE will end up needing at one point.”
“Learn more about my true feelings toward topics.”
“I think I need more social skills.”
“The most important qualities a teacher can have is being about to be interactive, light on homework, and being able to ‘act young.’ By acting young, I don’t mean some 80-year-old trying to act like she/he is 20 again. I am talking about adapting to new days. There are still teachers who teach like it was still the times before phones/computers, which won’t get you far.”
“I don’t like when a teacher is afraid of confrontation. I think being stern but not mean is important.”
“They need to have a balance in being cooperative, direct, and having fun while learning. Good teachers should know how their students learn and mix it up for the students who learn differently.”
“They need to understand that we can be busy sometimes, and they need to know that u [sic] can’t judge someone by how they act bc [sic] you don’t know what they go through.”
“The most important quality they can have is attentiveness.”
Of course these are a sampling, and yes, lots of kiddos wrote that they wanted to be on their phones more, have longer lunches, no homework and easy graders. However, if you’ve taught long enough, you can absolutely hear the needs of these students break through the surface. Immediately, I thought of Bill Daggett’s Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships framework, which you can read about here, in Peter DeWitt’s Education Week “Finding Common Ground” blog. Despite never wanting to hear anyone say the word “rigor” again since it was so overused, I have to admit that the framework gives us some place to start that seems to align with what my students are suggesting. This webinar, Rigor Is Not a Four-Letter Word, is an exceptional antidote for those of us who had an overload of rigor conversations.
As I begin to formulate my plan—a blueprint for moving forward—I’m reminded to look backward at what worked; but as some of my students note, education has changed too. The true test, as educators, is going to be how we synthesize the best parts of school, the things that are integral to our culture and school’s identity, while also losing our fear of change. I remember when I used to say to my students, “I’m trying to prepare you for jobs that haven’t even been invented yet.” Now, I’m thinking, “I’m trying to prepare you for a world that feels scary, a society that has been turned on its head, and a future that is incomprehensible given how fast everything changes. Help!” One thing that is certain, and hasn’t changed a bit, is the necessity of asking people what they need. I think sometimes that simplicity says it best as this response noted: “I want to be a good student with lots of friends.”
I’m looking forward to writing my way through the next iteration of education, and I’d love your feedback, suggestions and stories to help me. Please comment below or let me know on Bluesky, LinkedIn or Instagram.
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