Welcome Back, my friends and colleagues,
I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH!!!!
I am so glad that you are back, whether you are back to traditional classrooms, virtual classrooms, some of each, or blended classes.
Welcome to what is going to be the weirdest year on record! It “otter” be a wild year!
This is my 20th year in teaching. I was in teaching during 9/11, Hurricane Irma, the year of the 5 hurricanes, the year our school got a new building, the year of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas shootings, the year we didn’t know the results of the presidential election for weeks, and even the year Swine Flu (or was it SARS?) taught my middle schoolers to fling hand sanitizer on each other and snap the elastic of masks at each other.
Nothing could have prepared us for this.
Whether you are at peace with the school year now, whether you are not that worried, or whether you are crying into your adult beverage nightly, here we are.
The world has changed so much since you left your classroom.
There are 4 major events that have occurred. They may not all have been major to you. But be aware that it’s pretty likely that at least one has been major to the kids in your class and the colleagues in your building -- and different events have hit differently to different people.
Coronavirus -- of course, the ‘Rona is the most obvious event. The global pandemic is a big deal. 17,000 Pinellas County residents have tested positive. 500 have died. Hundreds have been hospitalized. This has been big and scary and traumatic for us and for the kids. You and they likely know someone who has had the virus, maybe someone who has been really sick or someone who has died.
Economy -- As of this week, in Pinellas County, nearly 150,000 (16% of the population) is identified as “food insecure”, meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Families that have never needed food banks or financial help before may need it now. Maybe that’s your family or your neighbors. It’s definitely some of our students. Small businesses & folks in hospitality have been hit especially hard. This happened fast and it hit families hard.
Loneliness -- A lot of us or our kids have quarantined and limited our interactions a lot. We have not gone to Disney or to bars (us) or to camps (them) or travelled or to many other places. We have been lonely. This has affected people differently, but know that people (kids and adults) are fragile. Things we could have handled with ease last year will be tough this year. Some kids literally haven’t seen another kid in 6 months.Others have been to day camps or have spent plenty of time with friends. There’s so much variety, but virtual interactions are not the same as in-person and it shows.
Racial Reckoning -- With the violent death of George Floyd seen by all of us, America’s anti racism movement went mainstream. Kids who, before, felt that nobody heard their cries of racism -- suddenly felt that a lot of somebodies heard, and felt empowered. Americans of all races, ages, and socioeconomic groups took (and are still taking) to the streets in mostly peaceful protests.... And then there are students coming from households that are pushing against this movement, households where racism is still acceptable (or where it is an invisible topic and thus racism is still acceptable that way)
Whew, friends! That’s a lot to work through.
Things are going to be different.
So, so different.
Today, I’d like you to let them.
Let them be different. Adjust your expectations.
The only way to a) be safe and b) keep your sanity is to NOT expect things to look like normal. We’re going to have to adjust our expectations.
Your classroom can’t look like it usually does
Your teaching style can’t look like it usually does
Your supply requests can’t look like it usually does
The kids are deeply affected by some (all?) of the above Big 4 events. They won’t act like they usually do.
You can’t see each others’ faces like you usually do.
You can’t do the same classroom culture building you usually do.
You can’t pass out supplies and handouts like you usually do.
Kids can’t even walk down the halls like they usually do.
EVERYTHING. WILL. BE. DIFFERENT.
(or at least everything is “on the table” for being different).
Our wedding anniversary was last week. LAST YEAR for our wedding anniversary, my husband and I went to the Bahamas. So, uhhh... we had to have different expectations this year. The pandemic changes everything. Instead, our kids (both in elementary school) threw us an “anniversary party” (for just the 4 of us) with some decorations we picked up from the order-and-drive-up at Target, some art they made, and some Thai food take-out. They even used streamers across the dining room and made us have a ribbon cutting ceremony.
I will never forget this anniversary. It cost next-to-nothing, had no travel, no date night, and not even a babysitter to get away from the kids. But it was meaningful and lovely and sweet.
In a pandemic, we have to adjust our expectations. And out of new expectations can come different beautiful things.
We humans can adapt to anything. You, my colleagues, showed us this in the spring, showed us all how amazingly adaptable you are. I was constantly amazed and awed by you all.
So here are my two pieces of advice for you as we start this school year. Maybe they’re my wishes for you, like little blessings.
I wish for you to be adaptable and flexible. Put away your expectations of certain types of
collaboration and specific notebooks you like and favorite classroom procedures that won’t work in the new normal. Try something new. And if that doesn’t work, try something else. And if that doesn't work, try something else. Don’t stick to your Old Ways because they’re habits. It’s time to form some new habits. Adjust your expectations.
Take extra-good care of yourself. The best parenting advice I ever got holds just as true for the classroom. As every airline safety video says, put your own oxygen mask on before that of your children. You have to be so, so aware of your own mental health this year, now, more than ever. Be aware of your signs of stress and signs of being overwhelmed. And step back and care for yourself. You can’t care for your kids if you aren’t caring for yourself.
I know you all. You will teach through a freaking pandemic and be rockstars. You will find safe ways of making meaningful connections with kids through masks and through computers and through plexiglass and through all the chaos to come.
But we have to adjust our expectations before we can create new ways of doing things.
I wish you flexibility and self-care. Those tools will serve you well in this wild year. Don’t forget we are all in this together.
I hope to see you all (virtually) at DWT or elsewhere soon! Stay safe!
-Tracy
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