“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a
love of learning.” – Brad Henry
This is the second blog on hope during this
crisis and it is designed to inspire the teacher that is powered on nothing but
hope and imagination. As traditional
teachers, many didn’t feel the need to acquire an abundance of skills beyond
those needed to use the technology in the classroom or on the district’s
interface. However, during this
worldwide crisis, we have gained so many new skills. Although many of them have been
unintentional, they are now added to the toolbox of necessary skills. When we look at our students and what we
expect them to pick up over the course of the year, much of it is grounded in
learning how to use new applications and memorize logins aimed at giving them
access to portals that may be beyond their reach initially.
During this crisis, we have been asked to do the
same thing. Many of us have excelled, a
few have dug in kicking and screaming, but none of us have quit.
Good teachers inspire hope, and it is our hope,
combined with love that power our collective journeys. We hope that we will eventually get back to
the classroom and inside the walls of the school so that we can continue
impacting our students. What we fail to
realize is that we have already made an impact.
By showing up to each live session with a new
skill or tool, we are giving our students the hope and inspiration they need to
continue. They see us showing up and
trying and that’s why they continue to show up.
We’ve engaged in good teaching these last few weeks because we’ve
checked all of the necessary boxes designed to inspire kids. The crisis won’t last forever, but the impact
of perseverance will!