According to the NY Times and Johns Hopkins, Arizona is the global epicenter of COVID right now, with higher rates of infection than some entire countries. Sorry I couldn't post a link (my laptop is "actively dying" as I type this).
@lovendures - I think you're still in CO? My heart goes out to you and anyone else who has to return to AZ soon.
@dannyboy thank you! What really resonated w me is parents ‘living in our shoes’. I’ve had many conversations w colleagues regarding Parents complainIng about struggling to motivate students to do work in DL. For me a little self reflection says - what values did you instill in your child in terms of the value of education or knowledge - teachers and peers and the value of education outside of getting a grade vs gaining knowledge. Blaming ‘us’ or the inconvenience of the situation when their child’s doesn’t value education and is struggling bc it’s not ‘social’. This says a lot about our culture and I’m looking for ways to help families and students take more ownership and put it back on them to take responsibility and grapple with their values. Having values is work and it’s a choice every day- we are the culmination of our choices and if we aren’t happy with what is in front of us and we created through our choices.
Mental health issues are already manifesting in our health care workers due to this virus. I believe if we open our schools up right now, our teachers and students will be dealing with this issue also. My daughter wants to teach in person, but not with the reality of the pandemic challenges right now.
I am a former teacher. I left the profession when I had children because I knew I could not devote the time and attention I needed to both teach and parent well at the same time. My children won hands down. I instead volunteered extensively at their schools ,on committees and in the classroom helping students who were falling behind catch up. This also allowed me to kept unto date with educational trends. I know some excellent teachers who are also excellent parents. I felt I would not have enough energy or time to give fully to both.
I am a former teacher. I left the profession when I had children because I knew I could not devote the time and attention I needed to both teach and parent well at the same time. My children won hands down. I instead volunteered extensively at their schools ,on committees and in the classroom helping students who were falling behind catch up. This also allowed me to kept unto date with educational trends. I know some excellent teachers who are also excellent parents. I felt I would not have enough energy or time to give fully to both.
Same here. I was an English teacher in a private, college-prep high school - the workload was immense. Constantly grading essays and papers. I knew I could not teach full-time after having children, but my admiration and respect for those who do are boundless.
I cannot imagine the anxiety and confusion teachers are feeling right now as they face choosing between their careers or their health. I anticipate many will choose to retire or will otherwise leave the profession, and a teacher shortage may be the end result.
Please read my post again as well as its medical link.
I was independently writing not in response to education and the mental/physical health of teachers and students.
I was writing about research in the UK and their findings of what might be physical damage to and in the brain (think similar but different from what COV-19 does in the lungs and then imagine that (for example) in the brain of COVID-19 patents.
I began my post prior to the group discussion on education but because all my posting is done on a phone it came into the middle of your other discussion.
As a teacher myself who chose to do exactly as you did and who also worked as an unpaid volunteer for 32 years of my children's schooling in and out of the classroom and now with a grandchild just entering school next year, I cannot even begin to enter the above discussion of the mental/physical health of teachers or students right now. Its beyond emotionally complex for everyone of us.
Thanks Michele, the article was very interesting. I wonder what we will be dealing with in the future for those who had Covid.
With the mutations beginning and all of the new understandings about fully airborne they were only guessing about months ago, humans are in a steep learning curve.
Stay strong and try to be happy when ever you can and filled with the faith that "this too shall pass" and "everything happens for reason". Platitudes were created for a mind over matter purpose.
We just need to be there for our families and try our best to be the heart of our homes.
Its a major crisis point but we've all had those and been in them before. We may have times of darkness and despair but as the saying goes it's all darkest before the dawn and our dawning is that we are birthing a new world.
Bit bit bit points of light come in, joy takes over sorrow. We can all get through this. We just don't and won't like it.
And the one thing we have all learned here is that fate can turn in a heartbeat. So many things are sensed and came true but many, many more never happened even when many here saw them, felt them and agreed upon them.
Keep the faith and hold on tight.
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@michele-b - needed the pep talk today. Thank you! All the articles and chatter about schools opening this fall really felt overwhelming today. So many things to consider.
@carmen - definitely feel you on this. So horrible that it may take that to wake people up. *shiver*
I feel "lucky" being a teacher who is relatively healthy and who doesn't have anyone at home with health problems. If I knew that I was going back into a classroom KNOWING that I was already at an increased risk or even WORSE- that I could bring something home that could threaten my family- I doubt I would even be able to sleep at night with worry about school starting back. With all that being said, I am also a 25 year teaching veteran. I'm not quite 50, but I'm no spring chicken either. I'm a bit overweight. I mean- who knows, maybe I am a prime target? I am willing to go back knowing that others will not be able to go, so I feel like I am in a better position to do it, but maybe I am being foolish to think this way. I heard Delores Umbridge (Betsy) speak today and I have ZERO faith that she has any interest in the health or safety of students or staff in our schools. As a matter of fact, she spent a couple of minutes blasting teachers for the job we did in the spring. Screw you, Betsy. I digress. Anyhoo- It is an impossible situation for us, really. Thank goodness I live in a state with a smart and kind governor who is looking out for us. If Trump holds funds, it will hurt schools though. A LOT. I live in a rural area. My school has around 60% free and reduced lunch, so we get a chunk of our funding from Title 1. (And we use it wisely). If that money is held up, it will sting. We will probably lose teachers (needlessly). Just another example of a$$hats in power positions playing politics with our children and (I guess in this case) literally- all of our lives. Sorry for the language. I get really frustrated about this sometimes. What they are doing is NOT okay.
I am a former teacher. I left the profession when I had children because I knew I could not devote the time and attention I needed to both teach and parent well at the same time. My children won hands down. I instead volunteered extensively at their schools ,on committees and in the classroom helping students who were falling behind catch up. This also allowed me to kept unto date with educational trends. I know some excellent teachers who are also excellent parents. I felt I would not have enough energy or time to give fully to both.
Same here. I was an English teacher in a private, college-prep high school - the workload was immense. Constantly grading essays and papers. I knew I could not teach full-time after having children, but my admiration and respect for those who do are boundless.
I cannot imagine the anxiety and confusion teachers are feeling right now as they face choosing between their careers or their health. I anticipate many will choose to retire or will otherwise leave the profession, and a teacher shortage may be the end result.
My daughter is a member of a number of educator message boards. Some are virtual music teaching board, some our current state of AZ educator boards some in her Texas educator boards.
A number of teachers have said they will quit or retire if forced to teach in person when school starts. Many of those are music teachers or teachers who are middle/school or high school and teach over 100 students a week. Elementary school special teachers ( art, music and p.e.) teach the entire school. She saw over 600 different students each week last year. She will see over 500 different A teacher in contact with 26 students each week is in a dramatically different position than a teacher making direct contact with 500 or 600 students each week.
She is aware of some districts in our nation cancelling all "specials" for the upcoming school year. I am not sure that is because of the high student contact count or something else but it happened after teachers signed their contracts for the upcoming year.
I believe those kids NEED specials now more than ever.
Interesting Sistermoon that a few of us here are former teachers like you, Michele and yours truly. I wonder how many currently teach besides Jaidy.
@Jaidy ,
I send you my love. I have so much respect for you and other educators trying to figure out how to raise families and teach during these times. . May your Fall be filled with many blessings and may you and your family stay healthy.