Teachers. Lend me your ears.
Also anyone in education in any capacity during this madness.
I have words for you and those that love you.
First, we are grateful.
I see you in the classroom leading a troop of masked students who may have entered your classroom unsure of what this year would be like and you have brought them all the reassurance they will be OK along with a crazy amount of the joy of learning. And you are killing it. Our kids are thriving under your direction.
I see you teaching virtually, Zooming in with kids who are anxious to show you their pets or who are refusing to turn on their camera and you are figuring it out. You are bringing them learning and fun and so much connection right into their own home. Our kids are thriving under your direction.
I see all of you working in the office and the hallways and the lunch room, running and coordinating all the things. You are leading and serving in all the ways.
You rise to the occasion again and again and again. The ability of our society to run seems to rest on your shoulders and you just keep on keeping on. It. Is. Amazing.
I need you to know you matter. Your work matters. But seriously….you as a human on this planet, matter.
Please take care of yourselves. We need you to be well.
Close out that tab with your work email at night.
Take a quick walk on your lunch hour (actually I’ll be honest, your lunch 20 minutes) and feel the sun on your face.
Set boundaries when what is being asked is just over the boundary of what one human can do.
Eat well and often.
