The Feeling is Virtual

Well, it's over. 

Summer's timer has dinged and the fun is almost done.

My three kids are now all back at school and boy does that look different. They are all learning from home. My oldest son is taking college classes in the basement. My daughter and youngest son are doing their school work from the dining room and upstairs bedroom. This is unlike any beginning of a new school year we've experienced - ever. 

Yes, there is an adjustment all the way around. But for a moment, I would like to talk about the teachers. Now that I work in a school, I see what has been happening. Things that have been happening behind the scenes for weeks, if not months. The only analogy I can think of is a magician who pulls the tablecloth off of a table and all the dishes are left in their places. But for teachers, the tablecloth was yanked away and everything they ever knew went with it - and they were left to pick up the pieces. 

I guess that analogy can pretty much be used for any of us right now - parents, students, school administrators just trying to do their best to keep everyone safe and wishing that we could just go back to the way things were. I think we all realize how far off we are from that possibility.

But back to the teachers, many of them are having to prepare recorded lessons or even attempt to deliver live lessons online. The majority of them are using technology they knew existed but didn't have to really concern themselves with. Now they are trying to appear like they have taught like this for years. Yes, that magician would be so helpful right now. 

We parents have not been privy to this intimate view of our children's education and for educators, it is scary to greatly expand your audience. But from what I've seen so far, these people have upped their game and plan to see this year through giving it their best shot. This year may look different but the dedication to students remains the same. 

I was pushed out of my comfort zone this past April when I had to teach Sunday school lessons using Zoom. When you do a lesson on Zoom you have to be fully prepared. Prepared for technology issues, prepared to talk because people on the other end are reluctant to participate, prepared to watch and hear yourself - which sometimes is hard since we are our own worst critics - prepared for criticism on how we can do better.

Some school districts were criticized at the end of the 2019-2020 school year because there wasn't more offered to the students. More interaction, more materials, more support. But keep in mind, we were all thrown into the deep end of the swimming pool and we all were trying to stay afloat. 

Not all school districts are created equal and some already had technology in the hands of their students that they could use. Others had to get and distribute what devices they could and supplies across the country were limited because of the great demand.

But now, everyone is in agreement things have to be better in education all across the board. And from what I've seen in the days I've been back to work, everyone is taking their responsibility very seriously. There is too much at stake. Parents are taking classes on how to use the technology. Students are Facetiming friends to make sure they have the correct links to their Meet times and assignments. Everyone is taking it one day at a time because trying to plan ahead is now a job reserved exclusively for the man upstairs. 

So please, if you see a teacher, know a teacher, love a teacher - tell them they are appreciated and doing a great job. Let's help them help our kids.