Memes Me Makey #2
Tag Archives: teacher
A Teacher’s Thanks To District 87
As many of you know, I teach high school English. (Yes, I am the epitome of the clichéd English teacher who thinks he’s also a writer. It’s true that I even have sports coats with elbow patches.)
I wanted to take a moment and thank my employer–District 87.
It’s been a long ride with District 87. I started teaching with them in 2002. Other than a two year sabbatical when my first child was born, I’ve been in the same building in the same hallway–and almost every room in that hallway–for sixteen years. We’ve been through a lot together.
In fact, I didn’t think there was much that could surprise me anymore when it came to teaching, and then the Covid-19 pandemic arrived.
The weeks leading up to the official “shelter in place” were confusing. Like you, we heard all kinds of contradictory reports. When the order issued to stay home, none of us knew exactly what to expect.
District 87 did two things that I find exemplary.
First of all, they implored us to “do no harm” to students. They reminded us that maintaining positive relationships and assuring students’ well-being took top priority. They encouraged us to error on the side of caution, to be gentle, to have an open mind, and to emphasize kindness. In my opinion, District 87 recognized that trauma takes all kinds of different forms, and no matter how well individuals were dealing with the situation, it was nonetheless somewhere on the trauma scale for all of us.
Which leads me to my next point. District 87 treated its teachers just as compassionately as they urged us to treat our students. District 87 goes above and beyond in fulfilling the various needs of our students. We are not just an educational institution. I feel that we are also very much a social services entity. As a result, I personally think that sometimes we want to do so much good for the kids that teachers become physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. One of the first things that District 87 did after we were all sent home was to alleviate our fears as much as possible. District 87 demanded that we take care of ourselves and our families. They acknowledged that there is no way we can teach like we did in the classroom. They made a point to let us know we would all continue to be paid and that they wanted us as safe as possible.
I have not once felt pressured, judged, or stressed by District 87’s leadership during this pandemic, and for that I am deeply grateful.
To my employers, I say “thank you.”
Working Hard, Or Hardly Working? My Answer Is … Yes?
The other day someone asked me if I’m working more or less than I did before the COVID-19 outbreak. I thought about it for a few moments, and I found that I could only logically answer “less.”
As a teacher, I spent about eight and a half hours at work every day before the pandemic. That doesn’t include any assessing, lesson planning, or prep work I did at home.
Now, with my wife working in the house as well, and two children under twelve years of age trying to learn remotely, I cannot honestly say I’m working eight and a half hours every day at my job.
I can’t.
It’s impossible.
There are far too many interruptions, distractions, and general necessities that come with a family spending all day together, every day.
However, even though I’m working less hours, I honestly feel like I’m working harder than ever before.
There is no routine now–not like there is when I’m at work during an average school day. As a result, I do a little work, we make lunch. I do a little work, I go outside and watch my kids as they play. I do a little work, we help our kids with their lessons. I do a little work, we make dinner. Do you see the pattern? The pattern is that there is no pattern. As hard as we try to establish a routine, it’s impossible due to the nature of our jobs and the circumstances.
Ultimately, there is no work “shut-off.” I’m thinking about work all the time. I’m at least reading–if not answering–emails at all hours of the day. It used to be that when I walked out of my place of work at the end of the day, that was it–the end of the work day. That mindset no longer exists.
I’m thankful that I work for a very humane district. They are stressing the importance of both physical and mental health, not just for the students, but for the employees as well. They have made it very clear to put health before work, which I greatly appreciate. However, teachers are self-motivated people who thrive on routine-oriented, multifaceted tasks. We like spinning a thousand plates at once, but we also like clearly established patterns.
I’m sure you’re probably in a similar circumstance–we all are. This is hard. It’s hard on kids, it’s hard on adults, it’s hard on everyone.
Are You Checking Your Child’s Grades?
Whether COVID-19 has sent your life into utter chaos or perhaps simply a bit of disarray, chances are you’re forgetting to check on your child’s grades. I urge you to do so regularly.
Most school districts have an online grade book that allows family access. I’m sure your elementary and middle school teachers have communicated with you how to take a look at your student’s assessments, but if not, get in touch and ask. It is absolutely your right to keep up with your child’s grades.
Most high school students know how to check their grades using an online grade book, but that doesn’t mean they actually are. I suspect many high school students are checking out or in denial. They need your support right now, and that support will probably feel like nagging. Most adults have felt like shutting down and hiding under the sheets at some point during all of this. Teenagers feel that way, too, but they may not have the capacity to actually get over that feeling. They need you cheering them on, urging them on, or nagging them–whatever works.
Most districts have adopted a “do no harm” policy. This basically means that schools are focused on improving each and every student’s grade. If your student is currently failing, most teachers will be very accommodating with helping that student improve. It could be in the form of making up missing work, doing work over again, or perhaps even excusing some work and treating it as a “no count.”
Whatever the case may be, it starts with you checking in. I know life might be crazy for you right now. I know it seems like you might not have time to do that. I know it seems like it’s the students’ responsibility to keep up with their grades, or the teachers’ responsibility to notify you of failing grades, but it’s yours as well.
The schools want your child to succeed, the teachers want your child to succeed, your child wants to succeed, and you want your child to succeed. Let’s all work together to make sure that success is achieved.
One Month Later …
I took this picture of my classroom on March 16th, which was a Monday. I didn’t have any students that day–they had already been told to stay home due to the COVID-19 outbreak. I spent the day in an empty classroom. It became obvious that we would not be back for a while, so as I walked out of the room at the end of the work day, it dawned on me to take a picture and commemorate the moment. I suspected we wouldn’t be back for several weeks.
I literally took this picture before I closed my classroom door, and, as of today, that was one month ago.
One month.
I have to admit, that’s pretty surreal.
While I’m fortunate enough to still be in contact with my students via technology, it’s very, very odd not to share the classroom space with them any longer. I spent roughly eight and a half hours a day in this room every weekday. I spent more waking hours in this room throughout the week than I did in my own home.
When a teacher leaves for the summer, the mind is mentally prepared to step away for some much needed restoration. However, I don’t think any of us were ready for the emotional ramifications of this unexpected quarantine. We didn’t get to say goodbye to our students. Most of us didn’t realize the significance of the moment when we said goodbye to our coworkers. Furthermore, I’m not sure any of us were ready to partially relinquish our professional identities on March 16th.
We’re still working. We’re still in contact with our students. We’re still encouraging learning. None of it feels the same, though. My identity as a teacher relied on having students physically in front of me. I liked making them laugh and seeing them smile. It was important to me to make a positive impact on a daily basis, no matter how small.
I miss my classroom space, but I miss having that space filled by my students even more.
One month … and counting.
Promise: My Short Story Of the Week
In Honor Of the Greatest Educator I Know
As Teacher Appreciation Week draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment and recognize the greatest educator I know. Her name is Kristen Foley, and she happens to be my wife.
This is not favoritism, though. If I only knew Kristen on a professional basis, my opinion of her teaching would not change.
I’ve known Kristen for seventeen years. In that time, her commitment and dedication to teaching has not wavered–not once. She has never compromised her standards, and she has not once taken the easy way out.
Kristen is quite demanding of her third grade students. She expects the best that they can individually offer and she wants it on a daily basis. She holds them accountable for both their academic performance and their personal actions. However, I guarantee you that every single one of her students, year after year, comes out of her class both an improved student and person.
That’s not to say she’s a taskmaster, though. I’m often amazed at how silly she’s willing to be in front of them. It’s not unusual to find her dancing with them during brain breaks or to catch her singing like a rock star. She is constantly striving to make her classes fun with innovative lessons, dramatic performances, cutting-edge technology, creative activities, and special keepsakes.
And while she asks for the best from her students and her school, she expects even more from herself. Kristen demands 100% effort from herself all of the time. She’s been that way from the day I met her, and she’ll be that way until the day she retires.
Once we put the kids to bed, she’s instantly back to work. She is always grading papers, developing lesson plans, writing newsletters, returning emails–I don’t know anyone who puts in more time than she does.
As a fellow teacher, I sometimes suggest she ease off the accelerator a bit. I’ve often worried that she’ll burn herself out. But that’s the difference between Kristen and most other teachers–she literally cannot burn herself out on this. She loves it. She loves teaching. She loves being an educator. She loves her students. She loves it in a way most of us cannot understand.
I’m thankful we still have teachers like Kristen Foley. She is, without question, the best of the best.
MR. F – #28
MR. F – #27
MR. F – #26
SCOTT WILLIAM FOLEY 