The New Normal :
Worse Than the Old Normal Without Our Grace
By David Mullen
As we begin a new school year , following the most challenging 18 months in recent history , what can we reasonably hope for and expect , beyond our initial elation at the gathering of our communities ? How can we effectively teach , lead , manage , and thrive in a world certain to remain uncertain , given COVID-19 , the state of our politics , racial injustice , structural oppression , growing economic disparity , climate change , the information revolution , and other challenges ? How might we approach this reconvening in ways that make the new normal more beneficial for our students and their families than the old normal ? A framework for thinking about our relationships , along with some tools for selfcare , may be helpful in continuing to bring grace to our work in the face of ever more demanding expectations .
The Honeymoon
Even as we remember the pain and suffering of so many over the past 18 months , the opening of this school year will bring great joy and celebration . We ’ ll have parties and field days , delighted to reconnect and be together in person . As with the start of every school year , it ’ s natural to have preconceived notions of what the year will bring , and quite often those conceptions play out ... for a while . We often refer to this period as “ the honeymoon ,” which generally ends sometime in late September or October when the stresses and strains of living and working in community set in . Unicorns and rainbows don ’ t last , and clinging to “ the way things ought to be ” can be a cause of suffering as noted in the Second Noble Truth of Buddhism .
This year will likely be more challenging than most , as the grace we ’ ve offered each other through the pandemic encounters the realities of everyone ’ s differing expectations of normal . We quite naturally have the desire for life to return to “ what was ,” and for everyone in our communities to be healthy and happy and patient with each other . We have before us
Page 2 Fall 2021 CSEE Connections