Dear Parents,
Okay, it’s been a week. We made it. None of us saw this coming, and none of us had any clue what we’d be in this situation when we signed up for this gig, but we are here and we are making it work. I’m going to put on my teacher hat and give you some advice on how to handle this whole distance learn/home school/whatever you want to call this thing we are trying to do with our children right now.
Ask For Help
The teachers I respect the most are constantly looking for guidance from other master teachers. Likely your child’s teacher would be happy to chat with you or exchange emails about how to structure a day or help your child with a math concept. Most teachers love to talk about their craft. No one expects you to have the expertise of an educator. Reaching out to teachers so they can talk about what they love to do is a welcome distraction from the crisis we are facing. So, seek out help from experts. If your child's teacher is not receptive contact me, seriously I’d be happy to help.
Structure Is Great...To A Point
Children have schedules in school and others types of structures. Educators do this so that children can eventually learn to create their own structures in their lives. So yes, set up a daily schedule so you and your child have a sense of the day, and also be willing to scrap that schedule if something awesome happens. Maybe your child wants to read an extra chapter of their book and that bleeds into math time. Sure, let it happen. Or maybe your child has a random question about something that you love to talk about, go with it. Structures are not cages. They are meant to be built off of, not to meant to constrict. Much of the best teaching has forced me to change my schedule, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
Don’t Worry About Getting Behind
Do what you can to help your child keep up with lessons and assignments that they are given, but if you are no able to keep your kid on track, it’s okay. We will figure it out in the summer and in the fall. All the students will be in different places and teachers will make it work. We are trained to manage students with different levels of knowledge. Teachers expect to work with students in a single grade who have at least three different levels of learning, if not more. For example, a 4th grade teacher will have students who reads at a typical 3rd grade level, some at a 4th grade level, and others at a much more advanced level. We will figure it out. What’s most important brings me to my last point…
Show Your Children That You Care And That They Are Safe
The most important, and primary job of a teacher is ensuring the physical, emotional, and mental safety in the classroom. If students do not feel safe, cared for, and known by teachers any teaching will be ineffective, and any learning will be insignificant. A great teacher may spend half a class setting group norms and getting to know their students. Because of this work, what is learned the last half of the class will far more meaningful than a mediocre teacher who tries to dive into material from the first minute of class.
Especially in this time of high stress and anxiety take the time to show your children that you care and that you love them. When they are doing school work, find positive things they are doing to reinforce their work and their knowledge of how much you love them. You can never tell a child to many times that they are wonderful, special, and important to you.
We miss our students; I can’t even tell express to you how much I miss my students. It’s only been a week, but I wasn’t prepared to be away from them, and I had no idea for how long. I try not to think about it too much, because it hurts. It’s something I feel deep in my heart.
We care for your children deeply, and the most important thing you can do to help us do our job as teachers is not to make sure that the math worksheet done. The most important thing you can do as partners in your child’s education is to show them that you love them, and tell them every day how special they are to you and how much meaning they bring to your life and to all the people who care for them.
Parents, we will see you on the other side of this, and we are looking forward to being with children again.
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