COVID has been tough on everyone. No matter who we are or what kinds of roles we play in our families, in our communities and in our workplaces, we have all been affected. We are all asked to do more than we thought we signed up for. This unrelenting virus has drastically changed the way we approach almost everything.
It requires us to find our best when we simply want to hunker down and just get by.
We have been so grateful for the essential doctors, nurses, CNAs, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, cafeteria workers, janitorial staff, etc. that walk bravely into their workplace every day to take care of people like Becca.
We also stand in awe of the teachers that similarly have to walk bravely into a classroom every day not knowing whether they will be exposed from other staff or students. These teachers are now asked to work more hours in more difficult circumstances, amid endless changes and uncertainties. Megan is one of those teachers.
“I was nearing the end of my first year of teaching when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The school year had already been crazy for me. I absolutely loved teaching my sweet students, but being a first year teacher was hard. It was so much harder than I expected it to be.
The real frenzy started when schools were suddenly shut down in March. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my students. Teachers were given two days to completely transform the way we teach. It was stressful, but we managed.
The rest of the school year was full of challenges. I felt like the best parts of teaching had been taken from me. I worried about my students. I constantly worked
to improve my online teaching. Luckily, we made it to summer.
I had hoped that conditions might change for the next school year. But once again, I had to reinvent the way I teach in order to make my classroom a safe place. Hours upon hours of work were needed to prepare for a school year unlike any other.
This craziness might last throughout the rest of this school year. I don’t know what to expect, but I know that we’ll make it through this frenzy. Life is often full of challenges, but we can do hard things.”
