In case you youngens ever read an old dusty blog, this post is dedicated to my students, in this, my first year as a licensed, certified, bona fide teacher. Your teacher.
What a year, amirite? We started on screens, peering at each other daily through webcams, spamming the chat, taking turns telling our stories. You decorated a classroom you had not yet visited by sending me art in the mail.
Eventually you came to the building in half-sized groups, half of the time, to walk through foggy hallways in hazmat gear and stay in little taped off spaces on the floor.
I'd make an E.T. reference here, but would you even get it?
Now, we are all in the classroom together, in our latest learning model, in this strangest of school years, trying to"finish strong."
I know you all and I will hear that advice a lot in the weeks to come, queridos estudiantes.
I think those who cheer on a strong finish mean well. I think they are trying to say all is not lost, never stop learning, carpe diem, growth mindset, go team. And I agree with all o' that.
I guess I just don't see the point in urging ourselves to finish strong, when I know how strong we've been this whole time.
Damas y caballeros, we met under raining ash and a glowing red sky, as the literal world around us was on literal fire, okay? We been strong.
It seems like only yesterday that I strode out to your family cars, in line at the school's socially-distant orientation.
The cloth mask I wore for the global pandemic served double duty, blocking some of the particulate matter flying around. The hot, smoky wind stung my eyes and my mind rehearsed the words I was about to shout, in either language, over a hundred running car engines, through a face covering, at you and your relations. I handed over a school laptop, some paperwork, attempted to explain virtual school, and clung to what I knew for sure as I gave this speech:
"No matter what, these kids are growing and becoming smarter every day. They will not stop doing that, even if they are not at school. There will be challenges, but we will communicate and we will get through this together. We can have a great year!"
I believed every word, but even then, I had no idea how true it was. In spite of everything changing constantly, confusing all of us in new and bewildering ways; in spite of uncomfortable solutions and hugs deferred, we have all learned so much, and everyone of us has been nothing but strong.
Sometimes we were swimming around in a cloud of confusion, but maybe that's when we were strongest of all.
As the year winds down, I'll nod politely when encouraged to "finish strong." Because I know what whoever tells me that doesn't know.
We are just getting started.
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