Classroom heroes

Educator excellence

Airdrie teachers share the positive aspects of educating during a pandemic

BY STACIE GAETZ | PHOTOS BY?

The past eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on all of us.

Educators in particular are being asked to navigate unchartered waters and do their jobs differently than they ever have before.

In the face of this global pandemic, teachers are expected to learn new technology, implement strict cleaning protocol and educate in a whole new way, all while supporting the mental health of their students, who are facing stressors they have never dealt with before.

We are astounded at the incredible job local teachers are doing to not only meet these challenges but go above and beyond. airdrielife recently spoke to three Airdrie teachers whose educating experience ranges from 11 to 28 years and each one of them says that although there are challenges that stem from the pandemic, they have also seen a number of positive advancements.

LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

Melissa Walsh has been a teacher for 11 years and currently teaches Grade 8 online at Windsong Heights School.

She says although there has been a learning curve for all involved, she has developed wonderful connections with her students.

“There are many different dynamics to a teachers’ classroom from year to year,” she adds.

“This year especially, teachers are being called upon to support social-emotional learning in addition to educational goals. Be kind to the teachers in your life right now and understand they are trying their very best to navigate through unknown territory.”

Heather Imorde has been educating children for 12 years and is currently a learning support teacher who works with students from kindergarten to Grade 4 at Ralph McCall School.

Imorde says the most positive aspect to come out of the pandemic for her is that it has given educators “permission to try teaching in different and innovative ways.”

“This year is not business as usual, which is stressful, without a doubt, but it is also an opportunity,” she says.

“I think it is an opportunity to reassess what it means to be a teacher, what it means to be at school, and how we can problem solve to meet students where they are at in different ways.”

Neil Sandham, a teacher for 28 years who currently teaches Grades 9 and 10 at W.H. Croxford High School, agrees with Imorde.

“I think the most positive aspect of teaching during a pandemic is that it has forced us to examine our priorities as teachers, learners, and members of our communities,” says Sandham.

“Teachers have been forced to critically examine the curriculum and tailor it to meet each student’s emotional and educational needs. In doing so, it has made us more reflective towards our practice, and more aware of our responsibilities for the emotional well-being of our students.”

UNSUNG HEROES

There is no doubt that teachers today are taking on the responsibility of being present for our young people like never before. They deserve our patience, empathy and a round of applause for their tireless work and fearlessness in the face of adversity.

Imorde says when people refer to nurses, teachers or other frontline workers as heroes, it is important to remember that they wouldn’t be able to do it on their own.

“I believe strongly in the power of collectivism, and that together we can do more than alone,” she adds.

“I believe in the superpowers of caring and building each other up, and that is the heroism that students likely see and appreciate from their classrooms.”

Walsh agrees.

“Heroes often face challenges that others are unwilling or not able to face and it is inspiring to see our community of teachers come together,” she says.

“Although challenging, I have yet to meet a teacher that wasn’t up for this task, and I believe that is what we call a hero!”

Education looks different right now than we ever thought it would.

Trading blackboards for computer screens and strapping on a mandatory face mask in addition to a backpack every morning is not something any of us saw coming, but students and teachers are working together to not only get by but thrive in this new dynamic.

Teachers are helping us to raise our children into the adults we want them to be under unprecedented conditions and demands, and their heroism should be valued and appreciated by us all. life