Since this pandemic started I have been struggling to write. I feel like all of my roles- Mom, wife, teacher, daughter, sister- have been tested. I sit each day and try to figure out how I can be the best in all of these roles and keep myself above water.
Our world has been thrown a curveball. Covid-19 has interrupted our daily lives and created days of uncertainty and anxiety in many people. Worries and concern about our families and friends are ever present in our minds. Will the healthcare workers in my family be safe when they go to work? Will my children’s well-being be affected and how can I help them manage the anxiety, isolation and lonliness that they are feeling? What about my elderly parents? Do I risk going to see them knowing that we could infect them? How can I help those who need it most during this time? All of these questions are real and evident in my mind.
Then my thoughts travel to my students- how are they? How are their famlies? How can I help them? What do they need?
On March 13, when our district gave us the news that we would be shutting down the school buildings for three weeks, we all walked out of school with a cloud of uncertainty surrounding us. What does that mean? How are we going to teach? How are we going to reach each student? As Fisher, Frey and Hattie described in their new book ” Distance Learning Playbook”- In the spring we were dealing with crisis learning.
My main concern during that time was the well-being of my students and their families. Trying to make sure that I connected with each family through phone calls, emails, Dojo messages, Google Meets, was essential during that time. Not only was I checking in on students, but I was checking in on the whole family. Each family faced their own uncertain situations and my ability to recognize that and be a support was crucial at that time. As those three weeks turned into months that was still my main focus. I was so grateful that I had already built strong relationships with my students and their families where trust was strong. That trust became a stronghold in our relationships during that time.
Robert Dunlop defines viabliity in his book, Strive for Happiness in Education as “the ability to survive or live successfully especially under certain conditions. It involves being able to adapt and persevere to make it through tough times.” He continues by saying that “as educators there will be tough times and there will be struggles. Just as there will be amazing moments and triumphs. We need to learn to embrace both fully if we want to have truly amazing careers. “
I know in my 25 years of teaching there have been tough times, but none as tough as what we are going through right now. This has forced me to take a step back and look at my practices and get creative as to how I apply them. It has caused me to step out of my comfort zone and take risks that I was not ready for. I have had to look beyond what I did before and apply new learning to it in order for my students to be successful. It has definitely caused me to grow and recognize that it is never too late to learn new things. It has reaffirmed my belief that Social Emotional Learning is key and necessary in every classroom and in addition, relationships are a huge part of our work. As we enter the new school year, our situation will continue to be difficult. Many schools and districts will begin the school year with distance learning but if we approach it with the viability that Dunlop describes, then we may surprise ourselves. I am capable of adapting and persevering through each situation. No matter if it is a pandemic or the world as we knew it before, the tough times and struggles will always be there. But the learning and outcomes from them are what is so amazing. If we take the time to embrace the difficult times, then when we emerge from them, we are much better people. We gain wisdom, strength, compassion and empathy. We come out of it feeling successful. Ultimately and most importantly, when we overcome the tough times, I believe that we will meet JOY on the other side!!