So, we're a month into the school year. How's it going?
Not great? The kids are out of control, acting like it's May when it's only September? You're frazzled and burnt out and wishing it really was May?
I see.
Look, I get it. This sucks. Your standing with your back against the wall staring down a long tunnel where the light at the end seems so very far away. You're frustrated, angry, miserable - maybe you've lost it on your students; maybe you've thought about walking out, walking away. You're over it! Done!
Can I ask you to take a breath, for just a minute, and maybe head back over to this post.
Remember that?
We've come back to school after being in lock down, quarantine, pandemic mode. Your students have done school for the last year or more in front of a computer screen from the comfort of their own home. They've had limited structure and routine. They've had very different expectations and rules.
That post I wrote talked about setting up a great first week to help with this transition. In reality, it should have said "first month" because this is bigger than returning from a summer break.
No matter the age, students are going to struggle getting back into a system they haven't been in for over a year. They are having to relearn things that feel like they should be common sense. In truth, it's all likely feeling incredibly foreign to them.
You feel it, too. This is hard for teachers, as well. And that's the thing - if it's hard for you, it's hard for them!
There are a few things that come to mind as I consider this situation and view the various social media rants from teachers and parents alike:
"Kids are resilient."
"They'll bounce back."
"They're just kids."
"They're in high school, they should know better. They're practically adults."
"You're an adult, get over it."
"You're an adult, you can handle it."
Stop. Stop saying this, stop thinking it. Just stop.
It's all so contradictory.
We say the kids will be just fine because they're "resilient", but then we say they're "just kids" so we need to have a little grace and patience. STOP!
We say high schoolers should know better because they're almost adults, but then we say they're "still kids" and we need to keep teaching them. STOP!
We say teachers need support for mental health and general well being, but then we say they are adults and should be able to handle it. STOP!
First and foremost, every single one of us - from teacher to student - are human beings. We have big feelings, big emotions, and regardless of age, we can't always handle them very well or don't know how or don't have the tools.
Second, we are all coming back to school with heightened levels of anxiety and stress because this is NOT NORMAL. It hasn't been for the last two years. And while getting back into a familiar routine can help with that, it's going to take some TIME.
Teachers need support. Students need support. We all just need a little patience, grace, and love as we navigate this uniquely challenging situation.
So teachers, give yourself what you need so that you can give your students what they need. Because we all just need each other right now.
And if we can band together to get through this, hopefully by Christmas things will start to feel normal again.
And if they don't - well, there'll still be a few more months until May to figure it out and the next school year will be a whole new game.
