When I was a kid, teachers were pretty much the best adults in my life. Teachers were dependable and kind and consistent. I never walked into a classroom with my stomach in knots, scared of what kind of rage or chaos I’d find. I was never afraid of my teachers. I was never afraid to go to school – I was afraid to go home. But home is where every student went back in March. And as we all watched, teachers did something remarkable in this terrible and strange time.
This is a love letter to teachers.
Dear Teacher,
I have no idea how you did it. I work in media and am pretty tech geeky and the first couple of weeks of trying to do radio from home just about cost me my mind. How in the world you managed to move your classroom to a laptop in what felt like the blink of an eye is beyond me. I work with adults – and not very many of those. You work with kids. Dozens of kids. My job might require preparation and cooperation and accountability – your job is all of that times a thousand and with kids. Oh my God I break out in a cold sweat just imagining it. And because you are a teacher, I know you’re worried to death about those kids. Do they have the tools they need for this wild scholastic plot twist? Do they have enough to eat? Are they in a safe place with safe people? Are they scared or stressed or slowly drifting into lethargy and depression? These kids that aren’t your own but are most definitely yours – are they okay?
I have no idea how you did it. Every weekday I walk into my kitchen and spend some time watching my youngest do her classes via Zoom and Canvas. Chemistry, Spanish, English, History of the Americas, Film, Psychology, Math, TOK (Theory of Knowledge). She’s an IB student and the workload is intense. During this lockdown her assignments have been just as challenging as ever. Your expectations for her never lessened. I’m so thankful for you because if it had all been left up to me, well, let’s just say she might have gotten some practice on fractions while baking (math), and maybe she’d outwit her older sister once or twice where chores where concerned (psychology), and that’s about it. You kept her busy and engaged and thinking and most of all, positive. Being positive is an important part of staying hopeful. Helping kids stay hopeful might not have been part of the official curriculum, but you worked it in. Bet you never thought you’d have to do all of that, all by yourself, while talking to a computer screen.
I have no idea how you did it. Today I eavesdropped as one of my daughter’s teachers talked to the class about their final grades. But the thing is, her point had very little to do with grades, those so-important numbers and letters. Her message to those students was about effort and struggle and rising to the challenge. It was about how proud she was of them, and how glad she was that they’d all come through this together. She talked about the future and how there is so much to look forward to. I hope other parents were listening in too, because our love for our children and our fears for their future can get tangled up together in such a big knot that we forget that they are resilient, that, like Tigger, they bounce. How many times a teacher has gently reassured an anxious parent of this fact I can’t even guess.
I have no idea how you did it; I’m just grateful that you did. I hope the next time I see you it’s in your classroom, doing what you love. If not, if the next time I see you is on a screen, that’s fine. Whatever it takes, we’ll do. When I look back on the teachers that inspired and motivated and in all honesty, saved me, it’s the person I remember, not the tools. Not the room and not the building. I remember my teachers. These kids will remember you like that. You, not the room you occupied. So, thank you from this parent – and from all of the other parents who feel the same way. You are beyond essential.
Love,
just a random mom
Sheri, your comments made me cry. It has been a long hard nine weeks and I miss my kids and my classroom. I went back today to pack it up for August. It didn’t seem the same. Thankfully I was there when one of my kids brought back her technology. My prayer is that things will get better and I can be in my classroom this fall. Thank you for you kind words.
Sheri:
Thank you. As the mother of a teacher, and grandmother to bunches of children, I know everything you said is true. I listened to my daughter complain that her students were not getting the education they need/deserve, then watched her buckle down to do everything she could to connect with those families and inspire those kids to continue to learn as much as possible. She is expecting to return to school in the fall on a sort of split track – each half of her socially distanced classroom is expected to be physically present in the classroom only 2 or 3 days a week. She will teach each lesson twice. This will be supported by her husband continuing to work from home 2 or 3 days per week so their children will not be alone at home.
During all this, she never stops teaching. There is no off button for the teacher in her, no matter who is around her.
I don’t even have children, but have worried about how some kid is going to be left behind in all this mess. If their home life is in turmoil, the school work can’t be easy. If they are just having a hard time grasping the work, they could so easily fall behind and get lost in the shuffle. Thanks to all the teachers who give a damn about their students and help them pass to the next grade. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I love your radio show, but I gotta tell you, as a person, you own it. You speak from your heart. You put into words what we feel but don’t have the words to say. Thank you.
Thank you Sheri for this lovely letter to teachers. I teach 1st grade and it was an emotional 9 weeks not being with my “babies” everyday! And, sadly, teachers are often not thanked so this letter went to my heart!
Sheri,
Your words mean so much and truly touch my heart. I am a social worker and at an elementary school. I know how important it is for consistency, structure, love, guidance with children who live in trauma. For fifteen years, I have watched students enter my elementary school with the wide-eye, unsure look, that is until they meet their teacher. So many of the students I work with enter the school building as soon as the door is unlocked (and sometimes even earlier) just to get away from their parents. These students embrace the opportunity to spend time with their teacher and staff members before the start of school.
Once, we became aware of the fact that we would not be returning to school, I was sick to my stomach. Not knowing how these children would survive during this pandemic. I was unsure how they would get by during spring-break, let lone a national pandemic that would shut down our school and community!! Once we were informed on the continuous learning plan and zooming was our way of communication, I immediately started reaching out to the my students that I was concerned about. These students that spent a great deal of time with me and talked about the abuse they suffered, they students that loved to cut on thier body because it took away the pain in their heart and mind, the students that never had food to eat, not a parent to check on their well being…..my students. The students that told me “school is where I feel loved….my safe place” It broke my heart.
I zoomed in with them and I would ask them how they were doing….they would reply with a smile “im fine.” You could see the look in their eyes that they were far from being fine. I started doing home visits, but once again, it was difficult to communicate as adult hears were always nearby. I just prayed and I prayed that these beautiful gifts from God would make it through this difficult time.
Last week, we received the wonderful news that we will be able to open our school doors for summer school. I am planning on being there when they open those doors, and I will be there with open arms (six feet distant of course). I will continue to fight the good fight because they deserve the chance to feel loved and valued.
Thank you for your beautiful letter. I think that would be a great letter to send out to the teachers so they can read your kind words.
With gratitude,
Alana Blessing
As a lover of education and a social worker, have you ever thought about school social work? I mean, when you’re finished with the show (which I hope isnt for a long while). Its what I do and you’d be a natural.