Dear Teacher:
I want to tell you something today. It may not mean much coming from a nobody like me, but I want you to know, dear sweet, hardworking, weary teacher that I see you and I care. Admittedly, this message should be coming from someone with a higher degree and more authority than I have. Hopefully, it is, but an extra voice of encouragement couldn't hurt, right? And truthfully, encouragement is all I have to offer right now anyway. I sure hope it helps someone, somewhere. Here's what I need you to know if you don't already. This is an unusual year, a hard year. If you haven't cried yet, you're probably not doing it right, and you know what, that's okay too. The truth is none of us are doing it right because there is no right when everything feels wrong. Our jobs have changed drastically from March of last year, and we didn't even get a say. We are now frontline workers, and our schools are more like battlefields than institutions of learning. It's enough to make a person bitter. Forgive yourself if you are. This is a war zone. Nothing is fair.
Over the weekend, my husband and I went to the Under Armour outlet in Destin, FL. In front of the store was a sign stating who was eligible for a 20% discount. The list included first responders, military, policemen, and for the first time, I saw teachers listed as well. That's when it dawned on me that teachers today aren't relics of the past wearing applique sweaters, orthopedic shoes, and lecturing about the Dewey Decimal system. The teachers of this generation, especially during the COVID crisis, are, indeed, modern day heroes. They are locking their doors to prevent school shooters, wiping down desks between classes, learning to teach through screens, and binding the wounds of kids who have, quite literally, been through hell. If this isn't a hero, I don't know what is.
This year due to being immune compromised and having a mother with declining health, I tried to be wise about moving into a position that would be safer for me, but I am beginning to see that there are no safe spots in education right now. As a district literacy coach serving teachers this year, I have spent the last three weeks surveying the damage of the educational atomic bomb that seems to have obliterated most everything in its path. I feel so helpless standing over the ruins trying to provide an ounce of relief. I've tried to help with remote learning. I have tried to be a listening ear. I have tried to step in where I am needed, but like most teachers right now, there is a weariness that says, "the needs are too great...where do I even start?" A daily dose of encouragement may not be the best place to start, but it doesn't seem like the worst place either. Growing up my mom always told us the quickest way to keep from getting depressed was to help someone else. Maybe, that's why my sister and I became teachers. For 180 days, there's always someone to help. This year my classroom walls have fallen down, and my new students are the teachers. And because I have found myself with this unique roster, I'm committed to helping myself by helping others.
I hope you'll join me in the fight. You can start by sending me a private message via facebook (Curt Bell..he..he). Tell me something that has made you happy or encouraged you this year, and I will turn it into words that can encourage others. I promise not to use your name or any student names, and I will keep it completely anonymous- I just need the message to encourage someone else. I think we all could use it, don't you?
-CDB