In a typical year, summer break is a necessary time for educators to unwind from the school year and focus on filling up their own cup so that they may be emotionally and energetically prepared to welcome a new class in the fall. In the summer of 2021, that break was even more essential, as teachers finally had a chance to catch their breath after three quarters of remote instruction, stress and uncertainty brought from returning to in-person school in a hybrid model, supporting students experiencing extreme disruption and trauma, and a school system that was completely upended by the Covid-19 pandemic. And yet, despite what many have described as “the hardest year of my career,” a cohort of teachers signed up for the Joy and Justice in Mathematics summer-long course, because equity and justice work can’t wait. If anything, the pandemic has made this work even more vital.
