3 minute read
Ignore the Noise
By: Paul Johnson
In January, I received my copy of Maine Educator. The article that really struck me was “School Nurse Struggle.” Several nurses gave personal accounts of how they had been spoken to and treated over the past academic year. In addition to the verbal attacks, there were also deeply troubling comments about their mental health. We are burnt out, mentally exhausted, emotionally drained, and constantly worried about our students and staff, not to mention our own families.
On reading this I thought that these sentiments were not only applicable to nurses, but to all educators. Speaking for myself, I can say that the fall semester was one of the most challenging. I was constantly worrying about my students. “Are they safe?” “How are they doing in their placements?” “Are they coming into contact with individuals who have tested positive for COVID?” “Have they contracted the virus?” “Will they recover?” “What about their families?” I would then think about my own wellbeing. “Are the students exposing my family and myself to unsafe conditions?”
Two days after reading the article “School Nurse Struggles,” the entire UMS community received an email from the Chancellor entitled: “In-Person Learning. Flexibility and Personal Responsibility.” To quote the Chancellor: “We’re going to safely start the semester with in-person learning and work.” I don’t know if I was surprised, dismayed, or horrified about the Chancellor’s statement. Apparently, I was not alone in my thinking; within a couple of hours of receiving the email, several students in the School of Social Work had written a letter to the entire faculty expressing their concerns about in-person learning. In addition, at a meeting held by the Provost, many faculty and staff expressed their concerns and reservations regarding the Chancellor's announcement. In the New York Sunday Times, January 16th, 2022, there was an article entitled: Colleges Regroup as Another Semester Begins in Covid’s Shadow. That is, the concerns we were having at USM were prevalent across the country. It also came across in the article that so many educators felt so vulnerable and powerless. Administrators were making decisions but they gave the impression that they had no idea what it was like to be on campus or in the classroom. They seemed so out of touch and detached from the day-to-day experiences. The question that came to my mind was, “How could we go about taking back control of the situation?” It then dawned on me the reason why so many of us become Educators. I started thinking about the numerous teachers I had through my own education who had such a profound and lasting impact on me. All their names and faces easily came to mind.
It wasn’t what they had taught me that made them stand out, but rather how they had treated me. Each one of them had shown an interest, concern, and a belief in me. They had nudged, pushed, encouraged, and supported me on my educational journey. It was as if no matter what, they were there for me. Yes, I made mistakes and experienced numerous disappointments. Yet, when I was ready to try again they were there.
Unfortunately, it currently feels that those of us who work in education at whatever grade or level are in the wrong. We are constantly hearing that: We are the problem. That we need to open schools up. That we need to put our students first. That we are harming our students' education. I’m sure you could come up with your own list of insensitive and hurtful remarks. Nevertheless, let’s not forget that we do make a difference. There is a child, an adolescent, a young adult, or an adult that remembers the profound impact we as educators have had upon them. They may not recognize it immediately, but at some point, they will reflect on their educational experience and remember the name of the teacher or teachers who made a difference.
So, let’s try and ignore the noise and all the insults that are currently being leveled against us. Rather, let us continue to focus on our students and the reason we entered this profession. This pandemic will eventually pass and many of our students will remember how much we cared and that we were there for them.
