Conclusion
The educational system has been in crisis for a long time, and the COVID-19 pandemic turned a magnifying glass on the societal determinants that cause educational inequities. At this point no person or institution is unaffected by the epidemic of educational inequality. Instructors, deans, provosts, and presidents are wrestling with these issues is because no sustainable long-term plan has been implemented more broadly by our government or other agencies. Colleges and universities educate the nations’ students, whomever they are, no matter where they are from. Being aware of some of the difficult circumstances that students facing can assist us in selecting best teaching practices for increased equity and inclusion. Small changes in our teaching practices can have large learning implications over time. Though our one class will not change the entire educational system, we do have the power to lead by example, starting right where we are, one student at a time knowing that the circumstances of one’s education matter. Teaching is our superpower. Starting now we can make the legacy of the 2020 pandemics aftermath a more equitable and inclusive system for teaching and learning in which all organisms thrive and flourish to their greatest potential.