The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impacts in the lives of American students and educators. Educators faced an upheaval and adjustment to a "new normal" as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, involving extensive use of technology and remote learning. During the pandemic, I was employed as both a sixth grade English language arts teacher in rural New England and a remote adjunct instructor for a higher education institution with over 30,000 students. These positions were starkly different in their academic scope, population demographics, and response to the country-wide shut down, yet the students faced many of the same obstacles as they progressed in their education. The COVID-19 pandemic caused teachers and staff to rally together to support students, brought to light great gaps in the education of the children in the K-12 school system, and necessitated shifts in educational platforms and curriculum to ensure the health and safety of our students and educators. With all of the lost classroom time, something more damaging was present as well: the loss of social and emotional readiness for learning. With proper social supports integrated into the education system at all levels moving forward, students may begin to regain their motivation and success in academia and in life outside of school.