It happens every year.  The teacher nightmare.  The nightmare where you arrive at school and everyone is asking you why you are late but you don’t know where your room is or it isn’t ready and kids are showing up and none of your lesson plans are anywhere to be found.  It’s a lot like the music teacher nightmare where you show up at school and there’s a performance you don’t know about and the audience is sitting there waiting.  I would bet that if you stopped and asked a teacher friend about this “nightmare” that most will say they have experienced it, especially the night before the first day of school.  However, this year, nightmares may become realities.

We thought last year was a nightmare.  Teachers teaching in hybrid situations, students missing from classes, music teachers trying to figure out what kind of guidelines they should follow to keep themselves and their students safe, especially when CDD, state and local guidelines clashed.  Even as we hoped that this year would be more “normal”, new nightmares are happening in the lives of people who just want to teach children.

I have good friends and colleagues who believe that education is going to hell because schools are teaching whatever political/societal/cultural catch phrase or theory they disagree with.  You need to know two things about teachers; teachers are not necessarily in control of what they teach and honestly, education does not move that quickly.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, they’re being asked or pushed to move quickly, but education is researched based.  As we’ve learned with COVID, research is a slow process.  Whatever we’re asked to do, is it good for kids, is it good for kids in certain age groups, is it even in education’s purview to teach certain subjects or should parents be doing it?  We’re dealing with certain hot topics in our state and there is a huge clash between citizens and our state board of education, which trickles down to our local boards, to our administrators and then teachers who are told what to do.  Things are different in different states (local control), but you see where the teachers are in the food chain.  I read something that complained that teachers were teaching certain theories/opinions in their class and it was going to ruin children.  In my experience, and again, talk to your teacher friends, they don’t have the option to teach outside of their curriculum and in some cases, have scripted lessons to make sure all students are receiving the same information.  

While there are always some bad apples, as there are in any group in society, professional or otherwise, I would venture to say that the vast majority of teachers are in the profession because (drum roll please), theylove children and want to make a difference in their lives.  They don’t wake up in the morning and think, “how can I indoctrinate the little sweethearts today with my personal philosophy and political slants”.  No, they’re thinking of little Johnny who is struggling in math and trying to figure out how they can adjust their teaching for that one child.  Or they’re thinking of little Susie who has a rough home life and brings it to school in the form of acting out, so all they think about is how to build a better relationship with that child so they have an adult they can trust.  Teachers are too busy to be adding others’ political agendas to their plates, and like other things, are asked to leave their personal issues at the door when they arrive at school.  They’re too busy trying to survive the day by helping their students thrive. They continue to do this because for most teachers, it is their MISSION to serve students through education, getting students excited about learning.  Nothing more.  Many certainly don’t get the credit or thanks for it.

As you can see, I have a passion for teachers and what they do.  I have a passion for public education, as imperfect as it is, because the mission is to take and educate EVERY child, no matter their color, race, gender, ability, socio-economic status and whatever else you want to add to the list.  We take every child.  And the expectation is that we make sure that EVERY child, regardless of that list, gets the best education we can provide, whether it’s in person, through a computer screen, with or without a mask. We don’t turn children away and we take them the way they are. 

However, I’m reading nightmare stories in the news.  I don’t care what you believe in terms of the pandemic, vaccinations or masks.  Not my business and I am not yours.  However, when I read stories of a teacher and principal being threatened and then attacked by someone, with the teacher being hospitalized over a MASK, then I can’t help but say something.  When people threaten violence in school board meetings that will mimic the January attack on the capital, this is not ok.  I spent 30 years helping students work out disagreements on the playground and classroom, talking it out, handing out consequences if needed because this is not how adults behave in a civilized society.  At least in theory. When parents and schools inadvertently put a child in the middle of a disagreement about masks or vaccinations, this is a problem.  Did I mention that educators care about children?  Because of that, they will ALWAYS err on the side of safety.  Remember the research I talked about?  Educators are not health experts but will look at the research and apply it to the school environment. If there’s a chance masking will help students stay safe, they will mask.  Remember, these are the same people who prepare children to duck and cover, not only because of weather related issues but for a possible active shooter scenario and yet they choose to remain within the profession.  At least for now. The least we can do is to let students see that the adults in their lives are willing to talk things out to come to consensus on something that is really difficult to deal with.  What a life lesson for them!

Look, I get that people are afraid of many different things right now and I’m not dismissing any of it.  Anytime we’re faced with the unknown, there is some fear involved based on our life experiences, perceptions and so many other things. I personally depend on my faith to fight that fear and try to follow what I consider common sense, being a pragmatist when things like this happen.  That doesn’t mean I should dismiss others’ fears.  I was reminded the other day that bravery isn’t the absence of fear but continuing despite the fear.  We are a country who has persevered through many difficult times because we figure out a way to make things work together, despite the fear and difficulty. We can agree to disagree, but without the violence please.

Tomorrow morning, school begins in my district.  While I won’t be in the classroom, thousands of my colleagues and friends will.  They’ll be greeting their new students with smiles and reassurances that this will be a great year, that they will be successful, safe and cared for.  Teachers will help students through all of the “first” things of the year, new supplies, new schedules, new lockers and combinations, lunch and recess and kids will be… kids.  The mask might be a necessary nuisance right now where you are, and while my own common sense sometimes questions what I consider inconsistencies, it’s no skin off my nose to wear a mask when I visit elementary schools this year if it protects a child.  Not MY child, but perhaps YOUR child or grandchild.  That child is worth the inconvenience to me and all the other teachers who are just trying to do their job and fulfil their mission.  I can’t guarantee that teachers won’t have their “before the first day” nightmare, but I can ask that we please help teachers take care of the children this year, thank them, and not create a real nightmare for all involved.