Learning and leading through COVID-19: Surprising findings from a year of disrupted field experience

Authors

  • Theodora Kapoyannis
  • Astrid Kendrick
  • Patricia Danyluk

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/ijll56

Keywords:

leadership, preservice teachers, online learning, practicum, pandemic

Abstract

When the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the closure of Kindergarten-Grade 12 schools in Alberta, the authors, who are the Directors of Field Experience, at this local university saw this disruption as both a challenge and an opportunity (Danyluk, 2022). Over 400 preservice teachers were scheduled to begin their in-school practicum two days after the announcement of school closures. While most Bachelor of Education programs in Canada halted or postponed their field experience programs, the authors decided to move forward with an online practicum course. This chapter describes how we used collaborative professionalism (Hargreaves & O’Connor, 2018) to restructure field experience in response to the pandemic and the impact it had on student and field instructor learning. A community of practice was initiated by the Directors of Field Experience to support the instructors in the implementation of the online course and to come together as a community of learners in support of one another during this complex time. Survey and anecdotal data will be shared to illuminate the positive influence the pivot to the online field course had on students and instructors as well as the challenges we encountered as we navigated these uncharted waters as educational leaders.

Author Biographies

Theodora Kapoyannis

Dr. Theodora Kapoyannis – is the Director of Field Experience (On-Campus pathway) in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary where she oversees the placement of 1100 preservice teachers and collaborates with over 50 Field Experience Instructors. Before taking on this role, Dr. Kapoyannis was a K-12 teacher for 17 years and served in several specialist and consulting roles. She worked closely with school leaders to support staff professional learning opportunities and further school development plans. Dr. Kapoyannis completed her PhD at the University of Calgary in 2018 where she specialized in Languages and Diversity. Her current research areas include field experience with a focus on teacher well-being, adult learning, multilingualism, and digital instructional literacy.

Astrid Kendrick

Dr. Astrid Kendrick – Before taking on her current role of Director, Field Experience (Community-Based Pathway), at the Werklund School of Education, Dr. Astrid Kendrick was a K-12 classroom teacher for nineteen years specializing in Physical Education and English/Language Arts. Her current research focus is on compassion fatigue, burnout, and emotional labor in Alberta educational workers, and she is a co-producer of the podcast series, Ed Students in Conversation. As the co-chair of the Health Promoting Schools Collaborative for the southern Alberta region, she has been working closely with health champions from across Alberta’s health and education sectors to support and promote workplace well-being. She is also a member of the Advisory Circle for the Women in Leadership Committee of the Alberta Teachers Association that promotes gender equity in educational leadership.

Patricia Danyluk

Dr. Patricia Danyluk – is currently the chair of adult learning and the year two curriculum coordinator at the Werklund School of Education in Calgary. She is the former Director of Field Experience for the Community Based Pathway at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. Patricia is a co-coordinator of Community Engagement: An Ethical Practice along with her colleague Dr. Elisa Vandenborn. She completed her B.Ed. at Nipissing University, her Master’s at St. Francis Xavier University and her PhD at Laurentian University. In 202, she was the co-recipient of the Alan Blizzard award along with her colleague Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt for their work on Modelling Reconciliation: Educators Building Bridges and Connections. Patricia’s research areas include the practicum, critical service learning and reconciliation.

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Published

30-09-2024

How to Cite

Kapoyannis, T., Kendrick, A., & Danyluk, P. (2024). Learning and leading through COVID-19: Surprising findings from a year of disrupted field experience. International Journal for Leadership in Learning, 24(2), 138–177. https://doi.org/10.29173/ijll56

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 2 (2024): Exploring Positive Forms of Leadership in Post-secondary Education

Section

Articles