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We have two daughters who are school teachers.

One teaches at the middle school I attended in Hannibal, Missouri so many years ago.  The other is a high school teacher in Rockford, Illinois.

After talking to them about the current crisis we find ourselves in, I wondered just how the Coronavirus pandemic is affecting their ability to continue teaching.

I didn’t have to wonder long – I later received a note from our daughter who teaches at the middle school.

She is, like her sister and so many other teachers, gifted in that she has been able to adapt to the fast changing environment we find ourselves in today. That ability allows her to differentiate and adapt scholastic content for her students.  I know she takes great pride, in her ability to provide her students with interactive and meaningful lessons and activities.  But most of all, her ability to build relationships with her students may be her finest trait of all.

I thank her and all teachers for what they do – they help ensure our future, and thank all of the health care professionals, policemen and women, first responders, and others that are out there on the front lines combating this deadly enemy every day.

So, I offer, with her permission, of course, her note to me after I asked how she was coping with the CoVid-19 pandemic.

…..When my school district went on “Spring Break” (or really just a four day weekend in our case) on March 13, none of us anticipated where we would be today.  Things started to go off the rails in our country regarding this new virus threat.  People were frantic at supermarkets, the news was blasting more and more frightening information regarding the Coronavirus pandemic.  By Monday, March 16, our last day of break, our school district decided to close down until April 14.

The response from our community was, for the most part, supportive.  But, we teachers were wondering how our students would adapt to now having all of this time – an entire unplanned month, at home.  And we realize that time may even be extended.  We also realize our school year may in effect, be over.

So…

Would our students have enough to eat?  Would they be left alone?  Would they be able to continue their education independently at home?  Would their parents be able to help them with school work?  Would they be in a safe environment?  Are they scared?  And so many more questions we haven’t even thought of yet.

Teachers are some of the most selfless people I know, often putting others before themselves.

Amidst all of these fears, I noticed many things begin to happen…

1) Our school officials devised a plan to support students however we can.
2) They set up free lunch grab-and-go checkpoints throughout our community.
3) Counselors made contact with students under their supervision.  Special Education teachers did the same.
4) Our teachers put their heads together (well, at 6 feet apart) and decided on how to get content to students both electronically and in a paper format.

And we did it all within a couple of days.

Many teachers had already made contact with their students through email, phone, video conference, Facebook, or other media apps.

Teachers never cease to amaze me with their ability to problem solve, plan, create, and be strong in difficult situations.  They care so much about these young people that become like family to them.

So, please, if you have a school-aged child, thank their teacher and their school administration for all they do to support your kids.  We could all use some reassurance that we are appreciated and that it’s all going to be OK.

Like Mr. Rogers always said, “When I was a boy and would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” We aren’t on the front lines, but we are behind the scenes supporting our students, your children, from afar.

So….don’t forget to thank our teachers too. They really are the ones who help to shape our kids into productive citizens as much or more than anyone else.

Thanks for reading…..
Paul