At the same time as we look towards happier and more positive futures, it would be unconscionable not to acknowledge in this issue of the journal the situation in which humankind now finds itself, and to consider the terrible toll that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on people’s lives throughout the world. To those who have lost loved-ones, who have been struck down by the virus, who are without work or at risk of being so, who find themselves stranded in countries far from home, with borders closed, separated from families and friends, and who are suffering loss and anxiety in one or a number of a myriad of other ways–too many to mention–we extend our deepest sympathy and strongest compassion. And let’s not forget the many Australians who are still rebuilding their lives after the devastating summer fires, and who now have the COVID-19 world phenomenon to deal with. Although it sounds trite to say that we are in this together, this just might generate one of the silver linings that emerges from the current crisis–a reconnection with those around us and a stronger sense of shared empathy and kindness for one another, as well as a greater appreciation for our beautiful planet. The fragility of life has become powerfully evident to us all. As we write this, Australia, unlike many other countries, is not yet in a state of total lockdown. Most non-essential services have ceased and regulations to do with outdoor movement and physical distancing become stricter day by day. However, those in essential services, such as healthcare and education, continue to carry out their work, albeit in some changed circumstances and via different service delivery modes. These people have been, and are continuing to serve at the “front line” as the pandemic sweeps our nation. To them all, we owe a huge debt of gratitude. Teachers and teacher educators are transitioning through a particularly uncertain time in terms of their professional lives and work. The rapid move to online modes of delivery in order to keep students engaged in learning–from early childhood through to the tertiary sector–has led to significantly intensified workloads for staff as they work to not only move teaching content and materials into the online space, but also become sufficiently adept in navigating the requisite software. The impact on staff and students is uneven–in some contexts, for example many universities, there are already established online and mixed modes of course delivery, such that the onus is now on building greater capacity through these avenues. In others, particularly many schools, the move to the online space is presenting considerable hardship as teachers struggle to adapt to what might well be the “new normal” for quite a period of time. With regulations changing about every two days in this country, there is an abject lack of clarity in many instances about what the best and, to cite the Prime Minister Scott Morrison himself, most appropriate “Australian” action is to take. While Scott Morrison reiterates that the medical expert advice is that it is safe to send children to school, where does this leave teachers and other adults working in educational contexts? Has the practicality of enforcing the required physical distancing measures