Dear Teachers, Online Learning Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect

Oh teachers. It seems like you guys are always getting the short end of the stick. From low pay to larger classroom sizes and losses in benefits and funding, and now– now we are asking you to transition your entire classroom into a virtual one with virtually no training or knowledge of what to do.

Wow. That has to be hard. And honestly it’s a little unfair. You do what you do because you’re good with kids. Because you like being in a social setting with lots of people, and you’re good at it.

Now? Now we are asking you to sit in front of a computer all day and try and teach your students in a way that’s completely unfamiliar and foreign to so many of you.

We are asking you to do what many of us parents are scared of doing ourselves– to keep them occupied and focused during this crazy uncertain time.

But, I want you to know something. We aren’t expecting you to be perfect. We know that there will be mistakes, classes that don’t happen because cameras aren’t working. Lessons that kids are being given that aren’t ready to go because you had minimal time to plan for it all.

We know that this is a challenge, and we want you to know that we, the parents give you grace.

Yes, it’s cool that zoom is offering their videoconferencing free to teachers right now, but we know you’ve probably never even used the software, and there’s definitely no way that every one of your students has.

This is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

Trying to get everything organized and all in the same place at the same time. It’s one thing to imagine a bunch of tenth graders doing school online, but first graders? How will you teach guided reading? How are you going to spend the time with the students one on one, and what will the other kids do when you are focused on someone else?

Kindergarteners do group projects, their entire day is based on centers in the classroom using manipulatives and different lessons and activities that have been carefully thought out. Nobody has ever planned to teach a five year old virtually.

Right now it sounds like an impossibility, and all we can say is, thank you for trying. Thank you for embracing this and taking care of our children.

Thank you for expecting the unexpected and being willing to time and time again do what you know is best for our babies.

It’s okay that it isn’t perfect. We are just happy you’re trying. We promise not to nitpick. And to just be grateful for you.

Grateful that you’re willing to teach our kids again and again no matter what is thrown your way.

Dear Teachers, Thank you.