Dear Teacher with a New Hairstyle,
"What did you do to yo' hair?" he asks.
"I got it cut. Do you like it?" she inquires.
"No. You gonna put it back?" he wants to know.
The short answer is no. No, she can't put it back, not her missing locks nor the forgotten nine weeks.
It's all gone.
In its place is something new and different.
Better?
It depends on who you're asking, but it's best to steer clear from the opinions of first graders. They are brutally honest. If she had walked in looking like Salma Hayak, he still wouldn't have liked her new hair cut.
Students grow accustomed to seeing their teachers one way. It's tough for them to reverse their thinking when it comes to any subtle change in environment.
I am always amused when I see students outside the context of the school building. They are genuinely freaked out to know that one of their teachers actually goes to the movies or needs a gallon of milk.
It makes you wonder if they think we live at the school, like maybe they erroneously believe the custodian plugs us in for a teacher recharge each night and then returns the next morning to flip an "on" switch. When the switch flips, do they think we spring to life like a floor lamp or an oscillating fan?
It's hard to say what they are truly processing, but I know I've never met a student who immediately embraced a teacher's new hairstyle. For the most part, they don't like change, which begs a question. If they can barely cope with their teacher's slight hair modification, how well are they handling all the swifts changes a global pandemic initiates? It makes me sad to think about it for too long, so I don't.
Instead, I try to focus on the fact that when these same anxious students realize it's still the same loving teacher behind the shiny bob and mask, their nerves settle.
After nine weeks, it makes me hopeful that they are, likewise, finally settling into COVID school.
Humpty Dumpty has certainly taken quite a spill this year. We may never get all of his pieces put back together, but I think the stabilizing force in these uncertain times is, unquestionably, the teacher.
Teachers want to provide their students security, but it's a lot of pressure to keep it altogether. Heck, now we can't even cut our hair without an interrogation. However, we can, and should, recharge often if we want to stay strong for them and for our own families.
If you haven't already, it's a good time to ask yourself, these two questions.
When was the last time I unplugged or got a new hair do?
-CDB