Back To School Blues

It’s that time of year again, yes it’s back to school time. However this year is very different form the pervious years. This year as an educator, I do not feel the excitement that I wish I felt. Actually with the Covid-19 pandemic my worry and anxiety is really high. There are a million things running through my head. 

First, what will this year look like? Are we going to go back to school? If so what does that look like? Will the kids be okay? Are we going virtual? How are we going to reach the kids who do not have access to the material that are needed to keep up? What about the kids who are being abused? What about the kids who are hungry? What if I bring Covid into my house? What if I bring Covid into the school and expose my students? Is it safe to go back? What if there is another huge outbreak? 

Seriously, it is all very overwhelming. It is all very scary. And it is all very politicized as well. Which to be honest, is not making me feel any better about all of the things that we are facing this year.  And to be quite frank, there are not a lot of answers to the questions that are swirling around in my head right now. 

But, here is what I can promise as an educator: 

I promise that I will continue to give my all to the children that are in my classroom and in my building.

Because they deserve the best that I can give them. I promise to put my health first because in doing that, I am putting your child’s health first. And I will do everything in my power to keep my risk at a reduced rate. 

I promise that I am going to do everything in my power to make my students feel safe.

I know that for our younger ones and the ones with special needs are going to have a hard time coming into my room and not being able to see my whole face with a friendly smile. That the classrooms are going to look very different and that we are not going to be able to do some of our normal activities. Because my goal for this year is to make sure that all of my children learn as safely as possible no matter what that means. 

I know that none of these is ideal. And I know that we do not have all of the information that maybe we should have. Believe me, it is just as frustrating to me as well. We are all having a hard time making the right choices and truth be told, that is because we do not have all the information to make these choices.

 

So what should we remember? 

We should all remember that there is no good choice right now. Let’s be real, there is not really a good choice that is going to resolve this issue. We also do not really have any direction coming from the top. So not every teacher in every district in every state is going through the same thing. Yes, we are are going through similar things and the issues are mostly the same. However, some districts are going back, and some are going virtual. 

The thing is that that we are all overwhelmed. This whole situation is insane and then we add all of the worry that we have on top of that. So teachers give yourself a break because the reality is yes, this is hard and yes, we are being put in impossible situations. And no, we do not have the answers that we need or deserve and it is not fair. However, we can all work together.