“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
–Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – ESV

You Teach, You Guide, You Care

As an educator myself, we do certainly do not go about the business of helping students because we would like personal recognition. 2020 has been a year unlike any other. Businesses, families, and schools have been shaken this school year like never before. It is just amazing to me how we all have rallied together during this time to provide the best education possible for our students. We literally had to come up with virtual lessons in a two day period with little guidance on how to do so. Many parents realized this year how hard it is to do what we do on a daily basis with not one or two students, but sometimes thirty or more!

Bus drivers, lunch workers stepped up in a huge way this year to meet the essential needs of our students without any hesitation. Support staff took on new roles and worked with students virtually. We all had to learn very quickly how to conduct virtual meetings. The custodians cleaned and went above and beyond this school year to make sure we had the best learning environment possible for face to face learning. These people are just amazing.

You, the teacher, met students outside of their windows at home to go over math problems, held them accountable when they didn’t want to be pushed, showed grace and compassion to those who were hurting during this calendar year. There are too many more people to mention, but as an educational family, we stood alongside each other to help students, families, and each other during this season.

Many of us were not able to say a proper goodbye to last year’s students, but we learned a lot over the summer to improve our craft. Teaching has been transformed teaching for the future. Pain often forces change. We have all felt the pain of this pandemic. For some of us, 2020 was a grueling year with loved ones lost, financial struggles, mental health wars, and the list goes on.

You, the educator, were a rock to so many even when you didn’t feel like one. When the weight was too much to bear, you did it anyway for your students. For many students, you were their lifeline during 2020. They are the reason we do this great work. Thank you for all that you do, educators! Enjoy the break, you certainly deserve it!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!