I read an article yesterday about a teacher going through chemotherapy that is still working. In fact she takes her computer to the chemo treatments because she loves what she does so much that she will not allow her circumstances to deter her love of teaching her students.
I have been around numerous people with life debilitating illnesses and what continually amazes me is the ability of some to truly put life in perspective. You can find this story on Good Morning America, but when looking I found a few more stories about teachers in similar circumstances doing the same thing. I believe I found so many articles because teachers know how to persevere and they love their students.
Being a teacher myself, I have heard the negativity that can be thrown at my profession. You cannot make everyone happy regardless of how hard you work or the number of hours you put in. I think one thing that has been a positive from this pandemic is the new appreciation of teachers as parents have had to step in. You see many stopped gripping and were even appreciative of teachers after they discovered for themselves how hard teaching children can be.
As a parent or grandparent of a child in public education, you can either bring encouragement or grief. Most that bring heartache on a pretty consistent basis are loud about their criticism. The teacher is never good at their job, wise enough to know how to help their child, or smart enough to know how to ask for help. Of course, they would never verbalize that to the teacher themselves, but they spread their poison to others. They are that helicopter that has weapons ready to fire and destroy simply because they think they are always right.
The encouragers are usually the ones that lift up and do not draw attention to their actions. They send notes or write on the bottom of a paper their thanks. They greet their child’s teacher with a smile in the grocery store and often ask about other subjects such as family or health if time permits. They are like water cans. They nourish all they touch simply because they see a need and they meet it. They are not stingy with their care and they are effective.
I want to encourage each of us to be our public educators’ cheerleaders and not their prosecutors. They are working long hours, doing both face to face and online as well as trying to complete all the extra the state is requiring for training, lesson plans, certifications, etc. Think of creative yet not oppressive ways to show a teacher or administrator you appreciate their hard work.
If you are a part of our public education, I want to thank you. Your tireless efforts have allowed our future to continue to receive a quality education even as each of us has faced so many unforeseen obstacles this year. Each of you is amazing. You have made a profound difference in the lives of your students and our communities, Blessings.