Today, I was shocked and disappointed to see the comments from the governor regarding the need for in person education.
His comments felt like a betrayal. This is week eight of working from home, learning from home, and teaching from home. It has become clear to so many people that teachers are overworked and underpaid. Teachers have been working countless hours during this crisis to support students through technology and with traditional materials. Schools have been delivering meals, providing wi-fi hotspots, calling families to check in, and organizing virtual spirit events. Leaders have been calling on partners and community agencies, using social media, and trying to build a system of distance learning from scratch.
To imply that in person teaching belongs in the past indicates how little our elected officials understand the power of a teacher.
Educators are responsible for so much more than content. They inspire. They see potential. They encourage. They challenge.
The term education comes from the Latin word ‘educare,’ which means to draw out. The best teachers bring out the best in students. And that is hard to do in a strictly online platform.
Please understand, I believe that education is overdue for some significant changes; much of my role is spent challenging educators to think differently about things like student engagement and collaboration. But, asking people to think differently and suggesting that our current model is obsolete are two entirely different things.
In the words of my girl, Brene Brown, “we are hard-wired for connection and belonging.” Humans have both a biological and a physiological need to be with other humans in social settings. Teachers have the unique ability to turn that social setting into a beautiful classroom community that thrives on inquiry, creativity, problem-solving, and risk-taking. That can’t be replicated at home on a device.
Education does need to stretch and grow a bit, and this current reality is forcing teachers, leaders, students, and families to do just that. But computers cannot replace the power of a teacher. That relationship, that connection, is too important to ever be obsolete.
Every decision about education should come from knowing and understanding what is best for kids. We know that kids need strong, positive relationships with teachers. We know that kids learn better in supportive classroom communities. We know that education is an investment in our collective future.
Knowing all of those things, we can’t take chances with the lives of children by making flippant, off-hand remarks. We have a greater responsibility to be thoughtful – to be purposeful – and to speak from what we have learned.
We have learned through this crisis that there is a definite place for in person classrooms. And every educator I know is wanting to get back those classrooms.
In the interim, we will all continue to work hard – to make this experience meaningful in some way – because that’s what educators do. We look for the bright spot, we celebrate the small wins, and we stay the course.
Because ultimately, that’s what’s best for kids.