These are strange times; we’ve all said it. We are facing things we have never faced before. Life does that. It brings the unexpected. From death to divorce, the perils of parenting to pandemic, it presents us with adversity. I’m a history teacher, so I spend my days studying the past, learning how people have lived and learned through all sorts of circumstances. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Out of adversity comes opportunity.” Herodotus, the first historian, is quoted as saying, “Adversity has the effect of drawing out strength and qualities of a man that would have laid dormant in its absence.” So, life is certain to bring us challenges. It is how we view and deal with them that determines who we are and what qualities we possess.
In this crazy time of uncertainty, we can be stressed or be stretched. We recoil or we rise. As teachers we are facing an unprecedented challenge to continue educating our students from home. Many of us feel overwhelmed and underprepared. It is true that we are attempting to do something for which we haven’t run the drill. Not everything we try will work. Some of what we try may flop. However, just as we have tried to instill in our students a growth-mindset of failing forward, we must now practice what we preach. Our students are watching. They are waiting to see how we will respond. Be honest with them as we set out on this journey. Learn and grow together.
As colleagues we need to be there for one another. This may be a time of physical isolation, but we need to come together more than ever. Follow your class rules. Be kind, patient, and supportive. Share. Help when you can. Reach out. Collaborate. Share ideas, online resources and lessons openly without needing the credit or your TPT payment. We are educators. We do what is best for our students, and we model what we expect from them. In truth, the way you respond to this challenge may be the most important thing your students remember, the story they share when this crisis has passed.
An old African proverb says, “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” We are definitely on rough seas right now. We need to batten down the hatches and be ready to throw one another a lifeline. When the storm has passed, as it is sure to do, will you look back and see the opportunity for growth that you embraced or an opportunity wasted? We are teachers. We rise.
We can be stressed or be stretched. We recoil or we rise.
