I have a true educational confession to make to you today. I have loved public education since the day I chose to go into the profession. I love the sounds of kids in hallways and classrooms. The chatter of what they perhaps did over the weekend in addition to watching and listening to students learn. I get chills down my back when I watch a teacher deliver seamless instruction to students in exciting and interesting ways. It is heart warming to me.
My confession? September is VERY challenging to me. In a typical year, September is strung with a lot of new unknowns. New students, new staff members, changes in systems as well as getting my brain organized in order to do the work ahead of me. Where I live, September has Summer weather that lingers, with a slight chill in the air at night. It is honestly a time where it feels the work is harder. I cannot tell you how relieved I am when the calendar magically turns to October. By then, a lot of bugs have been processed out of the system and people are moving forward with the business of education.
I am afraid however, this school year of 2020-21 has been vastly different. We have had a LOT to catch up with from last Spring as well as getting our items planned and implemented for this Fall. That being said, I know I am not the only person in education who is feeling this way but the overwhelmed feelings seem to persist on a daily basis. Alas, I do believe our systems are beginning to fall into some sense of order and students are getting served to the best of our abilities.
Please allow me as I digress. Let's talk a bit about October for a few minutes. This month is one where things just seem to fall into place for us. Our schedules are pretty well set. We are taking strong data on the progress our students are making and our minds and souls are into "doing" school. For me however, October is different. I live in a predominantly agricultural area and it's harvest time for us. In the area I live apples and pears are being picked, processed and sold at warehouses. The fruit will be shipped worldwide and perhaps wind up in a grocery store near you. On the plateau, we have sprawling wheat farms, while farther east it is Pea and Lentil country. I love the beehive of activity the harvest time gives us. The weather begins to crispen and the days grow a bit shorter. Once the harvest is completed, it will naturally be cooler outside and things feel as if they slow down a bit for many folks of my region. Towards the end of October we will have dramatic canvases of leaves changing from their summer green to a beautiful array of reds, striking oranges and bright yellows. The rivers in our town will slow down a bit, while the mountain tops will begin to have a cap of perfectly white snow.
School will continue (in a typical year) with kids coming in their sweaters and coats. I see a lot of progress being made during this fall time. It is so much fun for me to watch and be part of. This year in contrast is a bit more challenging. Our district is completely remote for the time being but we are planning for some students returning in person soon. Our special needs Life Skills students will be the first to come back to school, with plans in place to have more coming in as October progresses. Our Covid-19 numbers for the time being have plummeted and the obvious hope is that we can seek a lid on controlling the spread so all students are then able to join in person schooling.
I will keep you posted as to our progress and hope you and yours are staying healthy and safe during these extremely strange times. We will make it through this and I do hope normality will come back our way soon. Until then, take care,
Jon
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