“I worry about what would happen to me if I get sick. But I worry more about the children. I know my students have trouble getting access to quality health care. If they get sick, then what?”
Photo: Drazen_/Getty Images Teachers often get flak for the weeks-long summer breaks other people assume they take. “That’s always a bit of a misconception,” says Bethany Kirkpatrick, who teaches English and French in North Carolina, “but it’s particularly untrue this summer.
Now that we know more about the virus, we’re doing more things in person: showing up at homes, knocking on the door, dropping off some school supplies, waving hello. To me, it seems like the most genuine way to get these kids excited about school again. We’re also going to do a parade through the neighborhood and other little things to encourage the parents, some of whom don’t have good relationships with schools and government agencies.
One of the best parts of last year was Students Day. We didn’t teach classes, we just had a Zoom meeting with our homeroom. I told my kids it was optional, because I know that some of them like to sleep in, and I didn’t want to make them get up at 7 a.m. I have 23 students, and 20 came. Afterward, some of the boys were like, “Miss, we’re going to go play videos.” But the girls stayed online with me — the girls who would usually stay after school and organize everything and draw on the board.
I think teachers are essential workers, because we ultimately form the rest of the workers. We’re the ones who inspire the lawyers, the firemen, the scientists. We are the ones that are educating the future.Where I live, the principal of a nearby middle school just died of COVID-19. It feels personal to teachers. It’s a small town, and people know one another. It feels very present.
When I think about being remote, the biggest thing for me is an aphorism that feels relevant here: that students don’t care what you know until they know that you care. The beginning of the year is all about building relationships with students. Showing them, I care about you, I believe you can succeed.
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