The Day Our School Went Pitch Black and the Nights We Reclaimed the Light

Abstract

 I will never forget that a year ago, last March 2020, we had to close our school suddenly. It feels like someone just turned off the light without warning, and everything went pitch black. Confused and scared, we tried to make sense of and confront the endless challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought upon our school organization. The virus caused significant interruptions to our processes, policies, people, technostructure, and financial resources. However, with each tiresome blow, the school leaders and teachers navigated through and around those challenges. The only comforting thought was we were not alone in our quest to survive, for every organization around the world was thrown into this catastrophic state and was fighting hard to persist and endure.

Looking back, I reflect on the extraordinary challenges our organization experienced akin with most organizations using Kurt Lewin's Three-Step Change Model and the three ways we responded to COVID-19.