In This Spirit: Helping Preservice Teachers Thrive During the Pandemic Through Adaptation and Change

“New times demand new methods”, William Joseph Chaminade. These words reflect the lived experiences of two faculty women of color, identified as Afro Caribbean and African American scholar practitioners in education at a Marianist university. We share our different narratives of the experience from the dual lens of social emotional learning and culturally responsive pedagogy with our classes and students as they thrived during a pandemic. Included in these narratives will be a discussion of the continued community building process, exploration of efforts to learn more about the teaching profession, social justice and advocacy as we learn about others, and challenges encountered in creating virtual learning environments, as spaces to express themselves and dig deeply into their experiences as preservice teachers. This essay gives voice to the work of two faculty of color who found their work more valuable and accessible to students during these tough times