Finding Peace In the Midst Of Instability
Written By Abena Sey
September 6, 2020
I have just completed my first week of teaching in person in the middle of a global pandemic. The last time I physically saw my students was March 11, 2020, and I remember that week was a joyful period for us. We had started the week with our annual “Carnaval d’Hiver” celebration (Winter Carnival). By this time, my kindergarteners had grown so much as learners since I first met them in September that school year. They were smarter, stronger, more confident, and excited about learning. I grew as a practitioner, too. My teaching had changed to reflect the growth I saw in my students. I observed that they could handle more learning challenges. This encouraged me to take risks in my teaching by trying new projects that took me out of my comfort zone, and enabled my students to use their creativity and teamwork skills to learn in a new way.
Then, school closed. I could no longer continue expanding my teaching practice in class, instead I had to quickly think of ways to engage my students through distance learning. We made it through that challenging 4-month-period. It was not easy, but I chose to remain positive and consistently provide my students the best educational experience possible under the circumstances. I will forever remain grateful to their parents for their tremendous support, and to my students for their resilience. They continued to grow as learners in their new normal, which was learning from a distance.
After a summer break of feverishly watching government updates about the pandemic, I felt a roller-coaster ride of emotions. I felt uneasy returning to school, considering the many uncertainties that lay ahead. I am truly grateful for the planning of my government and school board authorities for the learning options presented to parents and the safety protocols put in place for staff and students entering this fall. Indeed, there are LOTS of changes impacting the new school year.
Which brings me to this week’s reflections on my ability to adapt to ALL the changes that have impacted how I interact with my colleagues, my teaching practices, and the daily operation of my classroom. It was initially extremely overwhelming wrapping my mind around how to prioritize safety in my classroom, in conjunction with classroom management strategies I normally use to build relationships and foster a warm and welcoming environment for my students. How do we build relationships in a climate of social distancing and prohibiting touch, such as handshakes, hugs, or high-fives?
My teaching journey in this climate has just begun, but I believe that the mindset changes I adopted in preparing for my students’ full return to the classroom made all the difference. These mindset changes include careful reflection of the control I do have and how I can work within it.
1 - Adaptability - I had to learn how to adapt my teaching practices to ensure that they are in line with safety protocols. For instance, rather than singing to teach phonics as I used to, I can show my students video recordings of myself singing and have them listen and model the actions. I’m incorporating music, visuals, and movement in order to promote learning. That’s one positive step towards a sense of normalcy.
2 - Think of how it can be done, rather than why it can’t be done - I think by now you have noticed the prominent theme in this blog: positively managing change. When confronted with change, your immediate response may be defensiveness followed by making excuses. I’m no exception. Change is hard, but I learned to acknowledge my feelings, accept the change, and reflect on how I can succeed within the change. This reflection process allows you to tap into your creativity. I used my creativity and adaptability to think of ways to implement the changes in order to maintain safety protocols while encouraging the continuance of learning. This thought process was truly empowering and encouraging for me.
3 - Being courageous - I have definitely become more courageous. In this climate, I resolve to put systems in place to maintain safety and my peace of mind. This involves saying no to things that are not in alignment with my health and wellness goals. I am a leader. I have a responsibility to my school, to my students and their parents, and to the community at large. But I also have a responsibility to ensure my health and well-being for my family. It takes a lot of courage to do the right thing, when it is hard or unpopular to do so. I take comfort knowing that I am taking actions to maintain my peace of mind. Being at peace, I can devote my energy to being a positive, caring, and compassionate teacher for my students despite the challenges before us as teachers and learners in a global pandemic.
I remain positive and hopeful about this unprecedented school year. I am so proud to be a teacher. I humbly offer my services to the families in our school community. Safety remains a priority, so I’ll do everything that I can to follow and model safety protocols. I believe this will give confidence to my parents, who entrust me with the care of their children. This also gives me confidence to approach teaching with cautious optimism this year. I am very realistic about our current situation, so my expectations definitely reflect this. I know that these are not normal circumstances, but how I respond makes all the difference in my teaching practices. I wish you a safe school year. Stay encouraged, informed, and know that you are not alone. We are all in this together.