I posted this on Facebook on August 16, 2021. As I start begin this new journey (more on that later), I thought it needed to be repeated on the blog. Take heart teachers. We are in this together.
Dear Parents,
I try to keep my opinion off of social media because let’s be honest, it doesn’t really matter. But I do think this needs to be said.
We are trying. We are all trying so hard. One county shuts down and parents are mad. One county stays open and parents are mad. Decision makers are doing the absolute best they can to make decisions that keep everyone healthy without compromising the education of our students. I can’t even imagine the stress they must be under.
But the teachers? We are stressed, too. We have been in school for less than 10 days and we are already tired. I see the look in my coworkers’ eyes. We are concerned for our students. We are scared for our parents. We are worried about our own children. And somewhere at the bottom of the list is the concern for our own well-being.
I will go on record and say 21-22 is proving to be more trying than the 20-21 school year. And yet we keep showing up and pouring our absolute best out for your kids. Please give us grace. Please understand we will show up and teach your kid. Please understand we are trained to fill the gaps. If they miss school, we will move mountains to cover the loss of instruction.
But please, please, I’m begging of you, stay home. If your child is on hybrid (or out for a few weeks), do not consider this an extra summer. This is not a break. This isn’t a call to hang out with friends and continue to spread this awful virus. If it was okay to hang out, we would be at school. And please understand your kids are listening. They hear what you are saying and you are shaping their opinions of the school systems that are trying so desperately to navigate the best way to keep them healthy AND educated.
Sincerely,
An exhausted educator.