“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle
Whew! You made it! What a year it has been. There were many highs and possibly many lows. Since we are now fully into summer mode, let’s take a moment to reflect on those highs; those lessons learned from a year of pandemic teaching.
While the changes in education have been difficult, they also brought out the best in teachers. We rose to the occasion, and in doing so, learned a lot about ourselves and what it means to be educators. So, as we reflect on the previous year, lets highlight five specific lessons we should remember this fall.
Something to Consider…
- Resilience: This year has been tough — but you have been tougher. You’ve tried new things and learned new skills and worked with incredible perseverance to help your students. Despite all the adversity, it’s wonderful to know that educators everywhere are discovering their true strength.
- Selflessness: Teachers have always been selfless, but this year, you’ve blown everyone away with the effort, energy, and care you’ve poured into our students. The pandemic has taught us that teachers put the needs of their students first.
- Inquiry: No matter our learning environment, curiosity is at the heart of learning. Throughout everything, you found creative ways to help your students create new connections and discover wonderful new truths about our world.
- Impact: Throughout the last year, it was easy for students to feel powerless and overwhelmed. Teachers taught their students that they are powerful — that they have the ability to make the world a little better place, right here and right now.
- Relationships: Although sometimes we had to be apart, you found ways to stay connected. Teachers did heroic work to build and grow relationships with students, and to help students collaborate and learn together.
Moving Forward
Looking ahead, the road to fall can seem daunting. We’ll need to be creative and diligent if we hope to fill the gaps in the coming year. The one thing we shouldn’t be though is discouraged. We’ve learned so much in the past year, including that we’re all so much stronger than we imagined. Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, I encourage you to think back on the lessons learned. And don’t forget, there are people with free resources who are happy to share your burden. When the new school year arrives, you’ll be ready!