Teachers across the world are teaching in virutal classrooms and connecting with their students via email, YouTube, Remind, Google Classroom, Zoom, and any other digital platform possible. Originally, I mistakenly thought that remote teaching would give me time to read a book or learn a language. Instead, I am finding that it takes just as much (maybe actually more) time to be a virutal teacher. It has been a juggle of emails and lesson plans and online platforms and grading and zooming and keeping students informed and answering their questions and checking on them and washing my hands. But during these weeks, I have been inspired by my colleagues who are reaching out to their students and creating normacly for them in so many creative ways. I see teachers connectingwith their students every single day on Zoom. I see teachers contacting their students via phone. I see teachers creating opportunities for students to use technology to have class discussions and meaningfully engage with the content that they are learning. I see teachers making daily videos for their students. I see teachers responding to emails for students who are concerned and afraid. I see teachers being teachers.
We are worried about the students who have not made contact or responded to emails. Actually, we are also worried about the students who have. Are they doing alright? Are they healthy? Is their family healthy? How is this affecting them? Are they staying home? Do they have food in their house? Is home a safe place for them? How are they doing emotionally? And that one student... the one that we can instantly tell the moment they walk into our classroom if they are doing alright... are they okay? We cannot read facial expressions and body language in emails. They say they are okay, but are they?
We miss our students. We really enjoy being with our students every day. That is why we became teachers. We miss their smiles and silliness, their deep questions, their stories, their insight. We miss watching them learn and learning along with them. We miss celebrating their successes with them.
We want remote learning to help our students. We want them to be prepared for school in the fall. We want them to be prepared for the standardized tests that they will still need to take to get into college. We don't want to leave them with gaps in their learning. We want to provide some sort of normalcy in the midst of this very not-normal time. We want to provide routine and consistency for them. We want to be there for them to connect with adults who care for them every day. We don't want our students to feel isolated, even if they are alone.
So much has changed. We teach online instead of in classrooms. We send emails and zoom invitations instead of talking to students in the hallway. We make videos instead of greeting our students as they walk into our room. There is one thing, though, that has not changed for teachers during school closures. The students are still what keep us going. They always have been. Every email and Remind message and thoughtfully completed assignment reminds us why we do this.
To our students: We miss you. We are here for you. We love you. We wish we were in school with you. Please wash your hands.
We are worried about the students who have not made contact or responded to emails. Actually, we are also worried about the students who have. Are they doing alright? Are they healthy? Is their family healthy? How is this affecting them? Are they staying home? Do they have food in their house? Is home a safe place for them? How are they doing emotionally? And that one student... the one that we can instantly tell the moment they walk into our classroom if they are doing alright... are they okay? We cannot read facial expressions and body language in emails. They say they are okay, but are they?
We miss our students. We really enjoy being with our students every day. That is why we became teachers. We miss their smiles and silliness, their deep questions, their stories, their insight. We miss watching them learn and learning along with them. We miss celebrating their successes with them.
We want remote learning to help our students. We want them to be prepared for school in the fall. We want them to be prepared for the standardized tests that they will still need to take to get into college. We don't want to leave them with gaps in their learning. We want to provide some sort of normalcy in the midst of this very not-normal time. We want to provide routine and consistency for them. We want to be there for them to connect with adults who care for them every day. We don't want our students to feel isolated, even if they are alone.
So much has changed. We teach online instead of in classrooms. We send emails and zoom invitations instead of talking to students in the hallway. We make videos instead of greeting our students as they walk into our room. There is one thing, though, that has not changed for teachers during school closures. The students are still what keep us going. They always have been. Every email and Remind message and thoughtfully completed assignment reminds us why we do this.
To our students: We miss you. We are here for you. We love you. We wish we were in school with you. Please wash your hands.
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