Katrina Morrison 12/19/2020

Katrina Morrison teaches 10th and 12th grade English in Skiatook, OK. In this interview, she shares her perception of how the COVID-19 pandemic caught the educational system off guard, and she discusses the challenges of moving to online learning as a result of the pandemic. She notes the lack of student engagement and the difficulties which student disengagement presented. Poetry became a part of Ms. Morrison’s routine, and it sustained her throughout the pandemic. Reading, writing, and sharing verse impacted her professional and personal life, from considering an MFA in poetry to writing poems about family and home. She also found solace in gardening. Ms. Morrison discusses the impact of the pandemic on students’ grades and shares her uncertainty surrounding the lasting effects of the pandemic. She believes communication between parents and teachers is one crucial component of overcoming future challenges in education.