The Last Word

By Jamie Rodriguez, Art Teacher & Langley Parent

Last spring, news of the pandemic inundated our world: coverage on every news outlet; the main topic of conversation on every Zoom call; and a shadow cast across every mind. I understood the seriousness of the situation and the need for schools and communities to act immediately to stop the spread, but I never imagined the longevity of the situation. But here we are more than nine months later with a clearer perspective, a stronger community, and a better understanding of what it means to do the hard things.

Last March, with only a few days to prepare before Langley’s campus closed, we set off to work on what seemed like an impossible task at the time. Those days and weeks were filled with virtual meetings, educational research, lesson planning, and for me, a refresher on how to teach young children (my own!) from home. Langley’s philosophy has always been to put our students at the center of every decision we make, so as an art educator and parent, I spent hours contemplating what that would look like in this new norm. I knew if I was feeling anxious, my students and my own young children must be feeling the same. We had faced many challenges in the past, but had no experience navigating a global pandemic, a hardship with no defined end.

But just like with anything, success comes with practice. Within weeks, I felt confident with virtual teaching as I navigated Google Meets, online grids, and a virtual art show. I also saw my students become more comfortable with distance learning. The question wasn’t whether or not we could do difficult things; it became how we were going to do them. I was optimistic that whatever the approaching school year looked like, I, as well as my fellow colleagues, could handle it.

During the summer, I reflected on my teaching and parenting capabilities more than I ever had before. Relying on the lessons I learned from the spring, there were several takeaways that would help me for the new school year and the challenges it would pose. First, one of the things I learned early on was that in order to be successful as both a teacher and a parent, I needed to rely on the guidance and support of others. This included talking with colleagues and getting in sync with my husband while we both tried to work from home while parenting our then 3-year-old and nine-month-old. I knew the best way to support our students, my own children included, was going to be to work together and for everyone to have an abundance of patience.

Second, one of the biggest challenges during the spring was figuring out how to navigate the work/life balance. Langley’s Leopard Cubs program provides childcare for faculty and staff, and I was extremely grateful that the school made it a priority to keep Leopard Cubs open this school year. Knowing that my own children were going to be in the best hands allowed me to focus my attention on my students and help them navigate a new year that would definitely be filled with new norms and many unknowns.

After a summer of reflection and brainstorming with colleagues and administrators, we dove head first into our hybrid learning model. We were once again faced with a seemingly impossible task. Remembering the lessons learned from the spring guided me through the first few weeks of this new way of teaching, and now that we’re a few months in, I’ve developed a rhythm and new sense of normal. We knew it would not look like anything we had seen before, but we were determined to make it work. Yes, things do look a little different – everyone is masked with well-washed hands, practicing safe social distancing, and learning in a hybrid model – but there have been very few disruptions this year and that is a testament to our entire community. We have done the “hard things” and I’m confident we can keep doing them together going forward.

Jamie with husband, Nick, and their two children, Rae and Ellis. The question wasn’t whether or not we could do difficult things; it became how we were going to do them. I was optimistic that whatever the approaching school year looked like, I, as well as my fellow colleagues, could handle it.

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Save the Date! Virtual Spring Auction: April 17

Join The Langley School for our annual spring auction, “REACH for the Stars,” on Saturday, April 17, 2021. In a year when social-emotional learning has been more important than ever, we are tying this year’s theme into Langley’s unique SEL program, REACH. While nothing compares to an evening of fellowship, competitive bidding, games, and dancing, the auction committee is excited to plan a virtual community event that will allow us to safely come together and celebrate Langley’s strength and fundraise for its future.

In addition to online and mobile bidding, this year's virtual event will have live drawings for door prizes and raffle items, as well as an opportunity to “Raise the Paddle for Faculty Excellence” which benefits professional development opportunities for Langley’s exceptional team of educators. Items will be delivered across the DC metro area by a dedicated team of parent volunteers after the event.

Join us! Registration will open in February to parents, alumni families, grandparents, and friends of The Langley School.

To sponsor the auction or make a donation, please contact Keely Daugherty, director of parent relations and special events, at kdaugherty@langleyschool.org.