Just Because.....

    There is something that has been bothering me lately and it has to do with the outside perception of what's happening in schools. Keep in mind, this is coming from an insider's perspective and it is not necessarily the same for all teachers. It is based on the idea that as long as kids are in school, things will be alright. Since they lost almost a year of schooling when Covid-19 struck the world, the theory is that if they are in school, the learning and social gaps can be minimized. 

    Of course kids are better off in schools where they have social and behavioral supports, educational supports, friends, food, and shelter. That is not the issue I have. The issue I have is that just because they are in school, things are not "business as usual." Things are never going to be the same in schools again. Educators are being asked to be teaching students who are now all over that map skill wise. They are expected not only to shore up the gaps, but at the same time are supposed to move forward with grade level curriculum. And don't try to tell me that all of the funding for additional support staff is going to do it, because it just isn't! 

    The reason is because teaching is not the same. We are being asked to be flexible, put our health and our families' health at risk. To be prepared to teach in any situation possible; in school, at home, or even remote as needed. We have gone from fully remote, to in-school/hybrid, and now back to school. Except all of the rules have changed. 

    This year we started off with a little bit of hope. Hope that we would only have to be wearing masks until the vaccines were ready to be distributed. Well, that dream has come and gone. Not only are many of the kids vaccinated, but so are the teachers and rest of the staff and yet, here we are in masks in January with no hope in sight now that the virus has mutated. The rules around symptoms of Covid have added to the fact that student attendance is inconsistent at best, since they cannot come in to school with a sniffle, headache, cough, etc. 

    As far as staff shortages go, well anyone in education could have told you that it was going to be a S*&t show. Substitutes are few and far between. Nurses are a rare commodity along with counselors at any grade level. With bare bones staff, heaven forbid one or more staff has to be out for any length of time. That just means that the rest of the crew has to do the "cover the duty schedule shuffle." This is not to mention the ridiculous additional jobs that Principals and Admin. Assistants have had to add to their resume. They are now the nurse, contact tracers, lunch ladies, counselors, substitute for any given teacher that may be out, and overall have become masters of the game of School Chess and I am sure they feel like the pawns most of the time. 

    So, just because school is open does not mean things are good. Teachers are stressed out, burnt out and are quickly losing faith that we will ever regain the spark of hope that things will get better. It is an awful place to be and none of us like being here. We are  in this profession for the kids, but unfortunately...the future is bleak. 

    Time heals all, but I am not sure that there is enough time for teachers to heal from these past three trying years.