Teachers on the front lines

Good Morning & Happy Halloween!
If you’re reading this, you have power somewhere… and that’s great news for you and your students. They are so lucky to have you today. I want to share a quick thought with you before your day goes into overdrive and you are lost in the responsibilities and assessments and deadlines of the noble profession we are all so lucky you joined.
Today is a different kind of day. Today you need to know your students more than other days. Today (mixed with the drama & excitement of October 31), you will have a student in your class who didn’t sleep last night because he was on Grandma’s couch, because his parents were pumping her basement. Some of your students haven’t showered or eaten a good meal in days and that’s precisely why their parents sent them to school. So, when Johnny tells you his backpack is in Auntie Sue’s car… today~ let’s assume it is. Today’s not the day for: “This was your last chance to get your homework in.” Today’s one of the many days that you will juggle curriculum, a schedule, your own evaluation and parent communication… and you will put it all aside to address your students’ basic needs… you will be balancing the art and science of teaching. You will put compassion first while giving your students the structure they crave… And you’ll pull it off with a smile!
Thank you for being in front of these students today. I’ve been thinking a lot about the horrible flood a few years back that took so many of my students’ homes. That was a difficult time- students moved for months. School, for so many, was the only stable part of life that year. I hope Sandy was kind to their families- they went through so much then. I’m relieved that the students who are struggling at this time have amazing teachers like you in front of them. The work you do is beyond important & I am thrilled that you have chosen to do it.