Learning is Not Closed

Changing aren’t coming.  They’re here.  Everything is changing.  Again.  Hard decisions were made in most of our communities.  Precautions and restrictions and shut downs.  Quarantines and capacities and illnesses. I know emotions are high and opinions are all over the place.  Not everyone agrees or understands.  Some will make the transition relatively easily and some it’s going to hit hard.  For some it’s going to be really, really hard.  I know that.  We all know that.

Hybrid learning is hard.  Remote learning is hard.  It’s all hard.  I am pretty confident I can speak for most educators when I say we don’t want one environment over the other.  We don’t like either of them.  There is no one that wants our normal back more than us.  We see the problems.  We feel them every day.  We know teachers weren’t meant to teach from screens and we know students learn better when they are together.  We also know parents never signed up to be teachers.  We know.  We know attendance and engagement and work completion are real issues.  We know this isn’t the best way to educate kids.  Of course, we know that.  Best would be normal.  Best would be seeing them and sitting down next to them and interacting with them every single day.  Best would be getting to see their whole face.  See them smile and worry and wonder.  We know.

But here is our current reality. We can’t keep up.  Bottom line.  We can’t.  We have students being sent home and quarantined that still need our help but are no longer in person to receive the help they need.  We are creating extra Zoom sessions and calling home on our plans and in the evenings.  I’m texting students throughout the day, but there just isn’t enough of me to go around.  Teachers are out and getting a substitute teacher is like winning the lottery.   There are none.  No one wants to work in the schools this year.  It’s too risky.  A large percentage of our subs are retired teachers and at an age that makes them more vulnerable.  They don’t want to be here, and I can’t blame them.  So, jobs go unfilled.  Teachers are giving up plans to cover other classes.  Any certified staff in the building qualified to sub is being pulled to do so which leaves their normal duties uncovered.  Moving classes to the auditorium so teachers can teach multiple class while maintaining social distancing.  Teaching a Zoom class and in-person class simultaneously.  Covering and helping with office staff and support staff and custodians and lunchroom workers who are gone.  It’s been all hands-on deck right now and quite honestly, we just ran out of hands.

BUT it’s okay.  It’s going to be okay.  That is what I also know and need others to know.  I know this first and foremost because I know your kids, our kids, are amazing.  They are the rock stars.  Yesterday was my last in person class for at least the foreseeable future and you know what, I had more students telling me that it was going to be okay and that they could do it then I was telling them.  They were coming up with ideas and suggestions to make it work better this time.  They were advocating for themselves.  Telling us what they need and how we can better help them.  Communicating.  Finding the silver lining.  And yes, being able to eat Lucky Charms during class and wearing pajama pants and being able to attend class with your dog are silver linings.  They are.

Teachers are probably taking today off.  They’re tired.  Probably tomorrow too, but I guarantee you before this holiday break ends their thoughts will be back on Monday.  Back on your kids, our kids.  Thinking about the new programs and new strategies they are going to try.  Ready to adjust and accommodate as needed.  As my boss would say, ready to pivot. Collaborating and learning from each other.  Thinking about how to do better.  How to connect more.  How to be more engaging.  How to still have fun.  Prepared to call home and send texts and send staff out to check on kids if necessary.  Those kids mean everything to us and we are going to do everything in our power to teach them.

Schools did not close.  Our buildings closed.  Learning is not closed.  Yes, we have a huge, messy, nothing like we have known circumstance.  And yes, we know it’s not going away anytime soon.  We know.  But people think about how far we’ve come.  Think of where we were last spring.  We started with nothing.  Who would have thought then that we would have pulled everything we did together and come this far?  It’s time for acceptance and appreciation for what we do have.  For the technology and community support and the creative and innovative thinking of those making what we do have possible.  For the resilience and perseverance and strength our kids have shown.  It’s time for grace.  Mistakes are going to be made.  Things won’t always work out the way we hope.  We’re going to get frustrated and overwhelmed and tired and we all aren’t going to agree.  But we’re going to do it anyway.  That’s what I also know everyone in education would tell you right now.  We will figure it out.  Solutions over problems.  Us over you and me.  Grit and tenacity.  Hard work.  Patience.  Faith and Hope.  Together.  We will find a way.

Learning is not closed.  I can promise you.  Learning is not closed.