National Day of the Teacher 2020

National Day of the Teacher 2020

The National Day of the Teacher is a day in which I always take time to remember those who have chosen this amazing profession.  I loved being a teacher; every single day of it.  But it was hard work and it never got easier - at least not for me.  It is a job that you simply must love with your whole heart in order to be any good at it.  You give and give and you get back strange and wonderful things from your students and co-workers.  But it is a not a path you take for status or monetary compensation.  It is truly a work of the heart.  

But this year is different.  The observance of this year's National Day of the Teacher is like no other.  This year we stop and take a moment, just a moment to think about what you have been asked to do.  Two months ago our country shut down and just like that your job and the relationship you have with your students was completely changed. You went from doing what you knew how to do - teaching with your own tool bag of materials and strategies - to a whole new world.  You have truly been asked to do the impossible.  Teach, but you'll have no classroom.  You'll need to create that in a closet or your bedroom or living room with no whiteboard or extra storage.  Without any time for training you and your students went on-line.  Your students were given devices with which they had had no training from you or anyone else.  Your class of desks or tables became a flat screen of boxed faces. Then you had to figure out how you could teach in selfie mode with one device and manage your lesson plan on another or continuously flip between screens.  Mute, microphone, chat, and video became your new class directives.  Your teacher demonstrations were suddenly completely dependent on a video of you.   Some of you were given guidance by your administrators and others were told to "use whatever platform you like."  The mothers out there also balanced your own children's education.  You suddenly became an expert in one or more additional grade levels and subjects.  Just like that.  And you did it.  You took it all in stride while the world watched and few realized what had gone on behind the scenes.  I am stuck here for adjectives that adequately describe this transition from the classroom to distance learning - amazing, phenomenal, unbelievable.  

I am absolutely in awe of all of you.  I know the work that goes into lesson preparation but this is a whole new level.  This is every day, I am planning for the what and the how of my lesson(s) that I will teach tomorrow.  This is how can I evaluate the level and comprehension of my early readers?  How do I ascertain where my middle schoolers are emotionally?  What happens when a student falls behind or doesn't turn in the work?  What do office hours look like?  Or faculty meetings?  

My hat and everything else is off to our teachers and administrators in 2020 and this new world of virtual education that you were all thrown into.  You did it and you made it look good.  More than that, you made it look easy.  That's what teachers have always done.  Whatever comes your way, you take it on and you manage the pieces so they somehow fit together.  Your only purpose is the education of children and you will do whatever it takes to make that happen.  You don't teach reading or writing, you teach kids the joy of reading and writing.  You are in the people business.  You are co-creating humans who think deep thoughts and care about one another.  During this time of Covid-19, those two things must go together in the minds and hearts of our kids.  

Thank you to all of you who have taken on the challenge of teaching.  May these last few weeks of the 2019/2020 school year be good ones.  Take care of yourselves so you can finish strong.   May you know that those of us who watch from the sidelines deeply appreciate your work and are amazed at what you have pulled off.  Congratulations on a job well done.