Like a film without a script

Dögg Gunnarsdóttir, headteacher of Lækjarskóli, lived in Sweden for seven years and when the COVID-19 lockdown came into effect in March, she consulted not only her Icelandic colleagues but also her Swedish ones, and made a list of what she considered needed to be taken into account. For communication with pupils and parents, teachers used the telephone, email, online groups and messaging apps. She says this major collaborative effort within the school, and also with parents, went according to plan, and she is extremely proud of her team. 

^{Children's names with Dögg: Elías, Valdís Silja, Ágúst Jökull, Rán, Hera Dís, Tóti, Hrönn, Eiður Hrafn, Úlfheiður and Ágúst. Photo/OBÞ}

The local paper Hafnfirðingur met Dögg the other day. 

Staff at Lækjarskóli gathered in the school's canteen on Friday to listen to the authorities announce a lockdown from the following Monday. „Then we had to turn our entire school operation on its head in a single weekend, and the work began immediately. The school's management met on Sunday and divided the school into four zones, which the staff and pupils were also divided into, and that arrangement remained in place until 4th May. It was very strange, alien and bizarre, just like we were in a film but without a script. For example, seeing someone outside the window running with a trolley and leaving food outside each cubicle door, Dögg recalls, noting that the architecture of Lækjarskóli helped in this regard, with its many balconies making it possible to see and wave between classrooms, even though it wasn't possible to meet up. “The youngest pupils, however, were the furthest away from me, and I missed them and the staff there very much.„

^{Hulda and Hanna, Year 1 teachers whom Dögg didn't meet at all but was able to wave to. Photo/submitted}

Well done by the town

Dögg says she didn't feel anxious, but the uncertainty was great so she prepared herself for the worst but always hoped for the best.„I found that being well-prepared helped, and I also recorded in a diary how matters were handled each day so they could be reviewed later in a historical context. We will be talking about this for a long time to come.“ She says she is grateful to have been able to go to work every day. „I am also particularly proud of all my people who are truly on the front line. There has been tremendous solidarity here, everyone positive and flexible, and they all pulled together to do what was needed.“ Dögg adds that other colleagues at Hafnarfjörður Municipality, outside the school, have also done a really good job. „We received a document with instructions from the head of department and a school representative at the Department of Education and Public Health, and that made it much easier for us. So, the school leaders and headteachers in Hafnarfjörður met daily, and although people didn't always have anything to say, the meetings were incredibly important for coordinating our efforts and supporting one another. Because every day, countless questions would come up from all directions that needed answering.”

Learn a lot in a short time

Dögg says the lockdown taught the school's staff to make good use of their time and to cope with unexpected changes. „The staff took great strides in a short space of time with regard to technology, and communication with parents increased significantly and, in many cases, became closer. The school's management team did a tremendous job every day, taking complete charge of the day-to-day running of their respective areas. There were also instances of teachers travelling to deliver materials to pupils“ homes. Parents also had to engage with the school in a new way and deserve praise for their cooperation and patience. Remote meetings with parents and team meetings worked very well and will be used more alongside other meetings in the future."

^{The voices of the students have been no less important in the process. Photo/OBÞ}

Finally, Dögg would like to point out that the students' voices have been no less important in the process. „Student representatives on the school council made important suggestions about how the school could cater to them. Following this, we set up a page called Heimaskólinn with a summary of data, guidelines and programmes. We also became clearer about how and when students could contact their teachers and have a conversation with them. This was all achieved through the cooperation of all parties involved; we were strong together and accomplished a great deal. Everyone pulled together and did what needed to be done. Everyone was doing their best.”.

^{Children's names on the cover photo with Dögg: Elías, Valdís Silja, Ágúst Jökull, Rán, Hera Dís, Tóti, Hrönn, Eiður Hrafn, Úlfheiður and Ágúst. Photo/OBÞ}

An interview with Dögg was published in Hafnfirðinginn on 20 May 2020.