The Struggle is Real
By Kim Roberts
Here we are, three months into a pandemic that has kept us in our houses and our children away from their schools. I have to admit, the struggle has been real at times.
I am not a teacher, do not want to teach – especially my own child. But, since my daughter is in high school, I really have not had to actually “teach” anything, I’ve been more of a parole officer checking in on her assignments and teacher’s notes and making sure she is doing the assignments.
I do not know how these teachers went from regular classroom teaching one day and the next being forced to change their entire lesson plans to fit virtual learning. They are fully aware, and I’m sure worried, that not every student is going to thrive in this environment and that it won’t be ideal for anyone, but what choice was there.
My child’s biggest complaint has been waking up at a reasonable hour each day as I force her out of bed by 9 a.m. And yet, even as smart as she is – I’m not biased – she has not turned in assignments on time – some her fault and some technology-based errors. Luckily, her teachers accommodated our technology glitches and worked with her. Thank goodness!
I had originally worried if my child would actually be prepared for 10th grade next year and standardized testing; surely, she was not learning what she needs the last semester of her 9th grade year. But then I remembered my daughter attends St. Mary’s Dominican High School, and I calmed down and looked at how the teachers adjusted to this “new normal” of education.
I know that they will make every effort to meet my daughter wherever she is when she returns to school in the fall and bring her to where she needs to be.
I am confident that all of the Catholic schools are of the same mind set and are prepared to move our children ahead as if they never missed a beat.
A “Toast of Praise” to teachers everywhere and the struggle that they have endured during this pandemic.
P.S. I can’t wait for school to start in the fall.
