2020 has been an unprecedented year. So much has changed, and yet many of our daily tasks remain the same. That is unless you work at a school. Even our veteran educators are feeling like it is their first year again. They are re-learning how to do their job, but this time they aren’t in a classroom setting or working with a mentor – they are figuring it out on their own.
After conquering a pretty steep learning curve, the technical aspects of distance learning are improving, but connecting with students and colleagues is hard. Long gone are the days of meaningful conversations, jovial excitement and triumphant aha moments. On the best days, teachers look at 23 fidgety, two-inch faces staring back at them. Most days though, the only face they see is their own, teaching to a sea of black boxes and names, because students have turned off their cameras.
Without visual cues, it is difficult to gauge student understanding, and personal connections are harder than ever. For students, also quarantined at home, school staff may be the only people they see outside their family. Students are relying on educators for stability and light in the midst of this scary situation.
Despite the heavy toll the pandemic is taking on all, school staff are going the extra mile to support our children. For some students, knowing their preferred nickname is a small gesture that can go a long way. For others, personalized virtual meetings can mean the difference between failing and passing science class. In more serious situations, when staff sees a student ‘fading away,’ getting them access to mental health services can save their life.
Many of the school initiatives to reach students used during distance learning are possible thanks to BEF and our funders. “Our partnership has been long-term and crucial in helping us engage students,” said Tina Myers, Assistant Principal at Westview High School.
While educators are guiding our kids, they are feeling detached and alone, dealing with the same COVID difficulties as everyone else. As a teacher recently noted, “We are not working from home, we are at home, during a pandemic, trying to work.”
It is time to work as hard for our schools as they do for their students. BEF supports the amazing work our educators do every day, and you can too. Send a quick note of thanks to the educators in your life, and make a tax-deductible donation to BEF today.
The universal charitable tax deduction benefit from the CARES Act ends December 31. This opportunity extends to taxpayers who do not itemize and creates an additional charitable deduction opportunity of up to $300 per household.
