This afternoon, every teacher that I know, let the school year come to a pause and wished their kids a happy new year and some probably went further to offer, "peace." Peace. I can safely say that teachers have felt anything BUT peaceful and although we have persevered and chased after the success we know our students are capable of, some, will remain unsuccessful. So the old year ends with our heads shaking and our minds reeling about the future of our students during this pandemic.
What people fail to understand is that teachers have had no peace either. I can not begin to describe to you the feeling one gets when a student goes missing in action for days, weeks, and no one responds to phone calls or emails or any attempt at the multiple acts of caring displayed by teachers, guidance counselors, adminstration and any one else involved in the educational process.
Christmas is almost here and the one thing that stays with me is, "Please, let these kids enjoy their holiday. Let them eat, and spend time with family and share whatever attention they can get from their families." Let them understand the importance of their education and their responsibility to themselves to succeed. "Getting by" is not good enough. Skating through was never good enough for your teachers and it should not be good enough for you either.
What the pandemic has taught our children is that communication is not necessary. They are so wrong about that. Teachers are NOT mind readers and it is absolutely impossible to help any of our "kids" if they do not acknowledge that they need help. And...they do most certainly do. The majority are rising to the challenge but teachers are definitely worried about those who are MIA. We are left feeling powerless and unable to do the job for those kids that remain helpless. "Kids, your teachers are there for you. We signed up for the help and the love you need but do not know you need." How we all wish you would recognize this.
Since March of 2020, along with every front line worker in this country, teachers have been trying to manuver their way through the politics of common sense and health mandates that do in fact save lives. They plan, they execute their lessons with every advantage they can give to each student, only to find the lessons not being done or for that matter, acknowledged. We will NOT give up on you. We will NOT accept giving up. That is not what we were trained to do. You will have to accept that.
With the winter break now here, I hope you will take the break you need...that we all need and reflect on the care and love that your teachers have for you. Your world has been turned upside down and so has ours. Perhaps we can find a common ground in that fact and rise. Rise to be better. Rise to be a contribution to the world you now live. It is all there waiting for you. BUT...you have to see it and you have to make it your own.
None of us were prepared for the isolation and the anxiety of this period in our history. It is those things however, that make us sustain our moral and ethical codes. We will heal. We will never look at the world or each other same and hopefully, we become better.
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