This study aimed to better understand teachers’ public interactions and private conversations during the shift to remote learning after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Using Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical theory to frame my research, I conducted interviews with eight full-time teachers who had experience teaching in a classroom setting, prior to and during the pandemic.
Erving Goffman, an underappreciated and poorly understood Canadian sociologist was interested in making sense of human interaction. To do so, he relied heavily on the metaphor of the theatre, likening human interaction to an actor giving a performance on stage for their audience. In order to give the most successful performance possible, an actor may utilize a variety of tools of the theatre to help convince their audience that the actor is who they profess to be. With this in mind, participants were asked to share their experiences interacting with colleagues, students, and administrators from the perspective of their professional interactions and private conversations during the shift to remote learning. The findings of this study suggest that Goffman’s dramaturgical theory, specifically his understanding of front stage and back stage performances, helps to illustrate the ways in which teachers were required to engage in impression management while teaching during the pandemic. More specifically, the findings showed that teachers struggled to remain upbeat and animated and show humility while adjusting to the challenges of teaching students virtually. Teachers also found it challenging to act professionally and to support their colleagues during the pandemic. Additionally, while being outwardly supportive of their administration and their decisions during this time, they also found ways to cope inwardly with those decisions. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, teachers talked about their students a lot and expressed significant concerns for their overall well-being.