It should be very evident that our front line workers are some of the biggest heroes during this pandemic. They’ve been incredibly strong in supporting and ultimately keeping our health care system going as well as it is during this time. It is hard to imagine the additional stress they have felt and the mounting expectation for care being required to limit infection spread and death. Kudos!
But I want to affirm the work of those in school systems as they may be the greatest unsung heroes in this time. I fully understand and can appreciate the desire for governments to have schooling continue. There are good reasons, educationally, socially, emotionally and fiscally not to lock down or lock up schools. Given the increasing numbers in some areas, I’m also understanding of the switch from in class to at home learning and visa versa.
It has not been a normal year for anyone yet, schools and school staffs have been asked to bring as much normalcy as possible to students and their families. This normalcy is required no matter whether students are in class or at home or whether there is an outbreak or not. Schools have just plugged along doing what they always done in some of the worst conditions known to this generation…they’ve cared for kids and focused on academics.
System and school leaders have needed to be extremely flexible in structuring and restructuring the learning landscape. Consistency is a rare commodity as each day has the potential to being very different from the previous. Teachers, prior to the pandemic, met the needs of a very diverse student population…at school. Now that diversity is even greater with blended learning, sometimes inconsistent student attendance and continued inequity of resources for our most marginalized populations. Teachers and school staff as a whole, have been required to develop additional resilience, flexibility and adaptability to keep as much normal as possible for students and their families. This isn’t just to feed the academics but more importantly to address the social emotional needs of students. To say the least, the education world has been turned upside down but educators continue to move it right side up and with little fanfare.
They do it because that is what they do!
It is interesting that in any crisis, schools and school systems are automatically the ones to step up to the plate. Schools and their extended supports become command centres to deal with any tragedy whether it occurs in the school or general community.
They do it because that is what they do!
We would like to believe that students are not carriers of COVID-19 but we know that is not the case. We would also like to believe that every parent/guardian practices proper hand washing protocols, maintains appropriate social distances, wears a mask when required and follows all other public health measures. Yet, we know that is far from true and the children of those families COME TO SCHOOL! Then those teachers and other staff, go home to their own families unaware if they are infected. Why?
They do it because that is what they do!
The school has often been the glue that holds a community together. That fact, has unfortunately been simply taken for granted. While I don’t think educators need parades to be held in their honour, I do believe they should be recognized for the unsung work they do, not only pre-pandemic but especially now during this pandemic.
Imagine a world without a school community, without education systems who care for children, educate children, feed children. Who would you turn to for support in times of tragedy, in unsettled times like now? The school and the people in those schools are the rocks required to brave the storm. Please remember those unsung heroes who begin their breaks today and will come back in the new year ready to do exactly what they do- love, support and educate children.
