To the editor:
Teaching has never been an easy profession. Public schools are the place where all segments of our community come together for a common purpose, the education of our youth. Each day our teachers face classrooms full of students, some who are ready and willing to learn, some who struggle to learn, and some who are not at all interested in learning the material for which the school is charged with teaching. Each day teachers work with this diverse group of learners, trying to meet each learner’s needs while moving the class forward as a whole. It’s not an easy job. However, teachers thrive on the challenge of helping their students learn and grow.
The difficult job of teaching became much more difficult starting in March of 2019 as schools faced unprecedented conditions brought on by our nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conditions became no better as we returned to school for the 2019-2020 school year as teachers attempted to instruct classes made up of students who were in the classroom and at home on virtual learning. Our teachers knew that no matter how hard they worked many of their students were losing ground from an educational perspective. The frustration was palpable.
We started this year allowing ourselves to believe that we would see a return to normal, but that was not to be. COVID restrictions and virtual learning began again soon after the start of what teachers thought might be a normal year. In fact, the very nature of these restrictions and the school’s response to attempt to keep students in schools have, in many cases, become polarizing factors for many in our community. This year has been one in which many differences of opinion that exist in our community have collided on the doorstep of the school, leaving teachers to carefully navigate a path that tries to offend no one and keeps all students engaged in learning. The past 20 months have proven to be one of the most challenging periods in the history of public education. Many of our teachers are simply drained and feel defeated. It seems no matter how hard they work, the effort is just not enough.
As Hoosiers, we love a good basketball story. You know, the kind where the home team is behind with 2 minutes left on the clock in the last quarter of the game. The team, drained by the effort to fight a much larger foe, just can’t seem to get the lead. It looks bleak for the good guys. Then the sixth man, the hometown crowd, adds their energy by standing and cheering at the top of their lungs to encourage the team to dig deep. The home team responds and finds energy reserves given to them by the support of the home crowd. Buoyed by the support of their community, the home team rallies to play like never before and wins the game with a last-second buzzer-beater.
As the “coach” of our school, I’m reaching out to you during this time set aside to give thanks and promote a spirit of giving. I’m asking you to give a little encouragement to our teachers. Little messages of appreciation and encouragement go a long way in refilling their energy reserves. Sometimes all teachers need is to know they matter and that they are making a difference in the lives of their students. Just a few affirming words can have a huge impact.
If there is a teacher who has made a difference for you or your child, please reach out and let them know. A kind word of thanks or just an acknowledgment of the impact of their work is all it takes.
Jim Bever
Greenfield
