“What is your district doing? What’s it like? Are kids getting sick? Do you have to wear masks?”
I’ve been doing this education thing for a long time; it’s never been quite this interesting to strangers.
“How’s it going” isn’t an easy question to answer. On the whole, where I am, it’s going great. But have there been moments where we faced scary unknowns? You betcha. Have tons of people put in tons of hours to make it possible? Undoubtedly. Are students and teachers impacted in ways we see now and in ways that will show up years from now? Without question.
I could share some of the challenges and fears because it isn’t perfect. I could focus on the fatigue I see in the eyes of my teacher friends or how I worry about the long-term emotional impact on kids, but today I’m focused on one simple thing:
Human connection.
More than anything, as a teacher, I’ve been reminded of the importance of human connection. As people, we thrive with purpose and connection. In fact, if you look at places around the world where people live the longest, those two factors come up again and again.
My students repeatedly have shared stories of enjoying being at home at first and then really missing school. They’ve come back to classrooms that don’t resemble what they left behind. My room has a college-like sterility to it. I can’t give them as much ownership over the space. We can’t see each other’s whole faces. Last year, books would go into quarantine, and we couldn’t touch the same supplies.
But, I didn’t hear a single student complaint.
I asked my students why they like coming to school now, and I received countless answers like this:
Seeing the desire to connect and to be together reflected in my students is a reminder of what matters in the face of adversity - each other.
I’ve been doing this education thing for a long time; it’s never been quite this interesting to strangers.
“How’s it going” isn’t an easy question to answer. On the whole, where I am, it’s going great. But have there been moments where we faced scary unknowns? You betcha. Have tons of people put in tons of hours to make it possible? Undoubtedly. Are students and teachers impacted in ways we see now and in ways that will show up years from now? Without question.
I could share some of the challenges and fears because it isn’t perfect. I could focus on the fatigue I see in the eyes of my teacher friends or how I worry about the long-term emotional impact on kids, but today I’m focused on one simple thing:
Human connection.
More than anything, as a teacher, I’ve been reminded of the importance of human connection. As people, we thrive with purpose and connection. In fact, if you look at places around the world where people live the longest, those two factors come up again and again.
My students repeatedly have shared stories of enjoying being at home at first and then really missing school. They’ve come back to classrooms that don’t resemble what they left behind. My room has a college-like sterility to it. I can’t give them as much ownership over the space. We can’t see each other’s whole faces. Last year, books would go into quarantine, and we couldn’t touch the same supplies.
But, I didn’t hear a single student complaint.
I asked my students why they like coming to school now, and I received countless answers like this:
- I get to see my friends and teachers in real life.
- I can talk to friends, talk to teachers, work harder, and learn more.
- I never realized how much I took school for granted until now.
- I like being at school because you get to be with real people.
- I didn't realize how much school meant to me until I lost it. I missed my friends and my teachers, who helped me along the way.
Seeing the desire to connect and to be together reflected in my students is a reminder of what matters in the face of adversity - each other.