If you ask any teacher why they got into the profession, more than touch a life likely, they will answer the same. Teachers love the interaction with their students. They love the classroom community and the school environment. They look forward to seeing their students face to face, day to day. They are involved in their lives and care about their students as much as any family member. This year, teachers have been faced with something so outside of their control and comfort zone. A profession that is based around human contact and social interaction has been turned upside down. No longer are teachers using their creativity, their true skills, and their true desire but they have been forced to become facilitators of online learning. Something none of them chose. I spoke with several local teachers just to get an idea of what they think…
Teaching is a great honor. I still remember our last day together on March 13th. I am so grateful that I can see their faces online, but having to close the building early has left an ache in my heart. I miss the every-day things that happen in a classroom setting. I miss watching them play and hearing them talk with each other. I miss seeing their creativity in action. I miss getting to share stories and books with them face-to-face. I miss their hugs and giggles. I miss getting to celebrate their wins as they learn new things. I miss hearing their perspective on any and everything. I miss them. My children and this time have taught me not to take one single day of teaching for granted. Every day we get to spend together is a gift. Children are a gift. The connection with students in the classroom is what fuels the desire and drive to teach. While days in the classroom can be long and tedious, the rewards from smiles, hugs, and those “aha” moments when students have a breakthrough make challenging days worth it. E-learning has been difficult, mostly because the connection between student and teacher is different and disjointed. There are not as many close conversations and the lack of human contact can make even the best online sessions feel somewhat sterile and empty. At the same time, I realize that for some students their daily dose of e-learning may be a bright spot in an otherwise challenging and lonely day. I can’t wait to be back in the classroom with my students in the near future! I am stressed and anxious. I worry even more about my students than I did before. Do they understand the assignment? Are they eating? Are they safe? What do they need? That is why I gave out my cell number and told them to call me anytime. Teaching during this time is putting more stress on me than ever before. I need to see my students, hug them and look into their eyes to know for certain they are ok.
Teaching has been my dream ever since I was a little girl who was inspired by so many wonderful teachers. I have seen many changes in education throughout the years, but none quite compares to this year. This year, I did not get all my time with my precious students. A part of me has felt broken because we have not been able to return to our classroom. However, through this experience I had to give myself, my students and their parents grace. This has been a learning experience for us all. I have had to be forced out of my comfort zone to create videos of me teaching and trying to create fun, yet meaningful lessons that my students can complete independently at home. I have had to balance all of this while also teaching my own children. In return, my student’s parents have been grateful and supportive while continuing their child’s learning at home. Teaching through e-learning, I have been extremely blessed to work and collaborate virtually with some of the best educators. While this is not how I wanted our school year to end, I have been grateful for this experience. Teaching has always been my dream job. As a first year teacher, I’ve only just begun my teaching journey and this is not how I imagined closing out the school year. However, I have been encouraged to see every teacher really together to continue to provide the best education for our children. I am grateful more than ever for my colleagues. We truly are a team! We build off each other’s strengths, shared ideas, and compiled resources to create virtual lessons and assignments. The transition to distance learning has taught me more about technology than I ever thought I’d know. It was definitely a challenge and steep learning curve at the beginning when I was learning google classroom and simultaneously trying to teach my students and families how to use it. Thankfully, the overwhelming feeling of being a google help desk lessened each week as the students learned to navigate google slides and turn in their assignments. Google meets with elementary students are an adventure. It warms my hear to see their smiling faces and hear their sweet voices. The screen is a constant swirl of activity. I miss the random hugs, stories, celebrating loose teeth, and aha moments. My heart hurts that we said goodbye that last day with no warning, preparation, or idea it would be the last time we were together this year in a classroom. Being a quarantine teacher has impacted my teaching career for the better. Grace, flexibility, and collaboration quickly became the running themes of distance teaching. I am very fortunate to be a teacher! I have been able to work from home and continue to pay my bills. I terribly miss my morning hugs, my students’ sweet faces and “you can’t make this stuff up” things they do and say during a school day. I am thankful for the wonderful support I have had from my administration, my grade level team, office staff and my amazing parents.
Take time to thank a teacher. These unprecedented times are opening all of our eyes to many things we’ve always taken for granted. From veteran teachers to first year teachers, they are doing the best they can with what they have been dealt. Our teachers love our children and miss them.
