I see you...

 I See You....

We have been back in the building a month now. The students are doing well, teachers are “killin it”, and our new normal is settling in to a routine. I am not going to sit here and say everything is sunshine and lollipops, because it is not. It is great being back with the kids, but it is really hard. 

I have gained such a new found respect for teachers; I have always respected you and have always been impressed with how amazing you are, but this year….you have raised the bar. You are all doing all the “regular” teacher stuff, the planning great lessons, differentiating for all your students, loving on your sweet kids, adding the “extra” to your class- because the kids love it; but this year… WOW!

I watch you talk to parents who are struggling with what school looks like this year. They can’t come into the building to drop their kids to the classroom, no lunch visitors, no family events; however, you are still working to help them see their kids in class and around the building so they can still feel a part of their child’s learning.

I see you working with that struggling student, who needs extra time with you to work on their skills. You work to arrange your room in order for students to social distance and still have reading spots, work with you in a small group (safely), and have flexibility in their seating.

I see you rewarding kids for going that extra mile, walking in line with social distancing, remembering that they can’t touch each other at recess, and for problem solving to a solution in class.

I see you exhausted at the end of the day. You have taught the core content, you have “policed” social distancing, gotten the kids to all the places they needed to be, helped friends through disagreements, went to planning or PLC and been an active participant, got your personal child to school/daycare, and all with a smile on your face.

I see you; so do others!

Educators are essential, not because the world is seeing all the hats we wear, but because we work with kids. We love what we do, as tired as it can make us, we are passionate about what we do, and we are proud of the work we do.