8 things your child’s teacher wants you to know this year

The 2020-2021 school year starts Aug 31 for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and on Sept. 8 for most public schools in Maryland, with a range of virtual, in-person, hybrid, synchronous, and asynchronous models in place. This we know for sure, but the exact details of how it will all play out are, like most things these days, uncertain. Although this year won’t start like others, the return to school still offers teachers and students alike the opportunity to be our best selves, whether we are sitting in a socially distanced classroom or on the other side of a screen at home.

Many parents are frustrated with their child’s learning situation. What makes some parents happy, upsets others. Your child’s teachers would like you to know that we’re trying everything we can to create meaningful learning experiences for all of our students.

I am beginning my 15th year teaching, my sixth in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and my second at Archbishop Curley High School. I am excited and as prepared as I’ll ever be for the year ahead.

Here are some things parents should know from the teacher’s perspective:

• We are still here. Many teachers have left the profession over the summer because of the increase in demands or a particular teaching model was not possible for them. Those teachers on your child’s roster have been fortunate enough not to be affected by the challenges of teaching during a pandemic or have found a way to work through them. Of all the options they could have pursued, they chose to return to teaching because they love their work, their school and their students.

• Health and safety come first. There will be no handshakes, high-fives or hugs at the door. There will be hand-sanitizers and mask reminders, instead. We will sit in rows like the olden-days. Group work will take place virtually. We will wipe down chairs and desks at the conclusion of each class. We will do this for as long as it takes.

• We are in it for your kids. We know this is a hard time for everyone right now, but we are especially concerned about the effect COVID19 is having on children socially and academically. We want to catch our students up and keep them on track. The future may be uncertain, but their dreams deserve a future. Our mission is to guide them there.

• We will do our best to maintain some semblance of normalcy. There are many new and awkward health and safety rules in place for in-school learning and, let’s face it, virtual learning can be awkward, too. But, teachers are adaptable and have found new ways of establishing routines and keeping their students engaged. Kindergarten teachers will have show-and-tell over Zoom. Rather than pushing their desks together and breaking out red pens for peer revision, my juniors will sit 6 feet apart and review each other’s essays over Google Docs. There will be our temporary “new normal”.

• We’re learning, too. From Acendo Vibe cameras to Zoom digital conferences, teachers have spent a considerable amount of time learning how to use in-classroom devices and online tools to enable us to reach our students even when they are far away. Some of us have even started over from scratch because our plans don’t translate to a socially or physically distant classroom. We are trying so hard to get it right, but it’s going to take us time to find our groove. Thank you for being patient with us.

• We all have strengths and weaknesses. Very few people with a degree in education could have predicted teaching in this climate. Teachers have strengths and weaknesses that affect how they will teach under these circumstances, based on personality or experience. I adapt to change quickly but have a tendency to be too ambitious with what I’d like to accomplish in one class period. Most first-year teachers grew up with technology and are comfortable with it, but may not have classroom management figured out yet. Some veteran teachers get frustrated with technology, but they seldom panic when the wi-fi goes out. It may frustrate you that your child’s teachers aren’t strong in certain areas, but be patient and look for where they excel.

• Many of us are in your shoes. I am a mother of four kids in three schools. All of them will be learning at home. I am having trouble keeping up with the seemingly daily changes to each school’s policies and procedures. It’s frustrating, but I know not to take it out on their teachers, who have no say on those things. Even when the teachers need to make changes to their own classes, I recognize that we are living in an elastic world and respect the teacher’s decision. I know that they are in the same boat as me and we are constantly tossing buckets of water over the sides just to stay afloat. I know that many of them are parents, too, and that when they are done teaching my children, they have to take care of their own. If I email them, I don’t expect to hear from them until the next school day because I respect their family time. Please remember that home/work balance is delicate for teachers right now, especially for those who are teaching virtually.

• We are optimistic about the future of education. Just about every teacher I know is an optimist. (It may be because I tend to associate with positive people.) Just about all of us are strong believers in science and technology and earnestly hope that the COVID19 situation will be resolved soon. We picture ourselves back in our classrooms with the entire class, their desks pushed together while they’re sharing markers to make a poster together. We will see their smiles and hear their voices without the muffle of their masks. We will probably still use hand sanitizer and wipe down the desks, but we will be healthy and we will be happy.

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