I visit classes* most often to sit and watch how my colleagues work their magic, especially with this 100% remote teaching and learning world in which Philly and other schools and districts find ourselves. Recently, a student in one class came off mute to ask for additional time on an assignment. The exact words were, "[Teacher] can we get like five more minutes because I had to go give my niece some cereal?"
So what's the big deal? Why am I writing about a bowl of cereal from an unidentified-for-the-internet uncle to an unidentified-for-the-internet niece?😕😕
That a student felt comfortable enough to come off mute, with about 20 other people on the line, to ask for extra time with the reason being that he had to go feed his niece says a lot! It says a lot about the rapport this teacher built with his students. It says a lot about remote learning space concurrents. It also says a lot about the teacher who understands this and replied, "Sure, no problem" with a facial expression that spoke loudly of "Of course, why would I not give you an extra few minutes."
Teacher-colleagues, understand the realm in which we all find ourselves and let's govern ourselves accordingly.
Administrators at the school and district levels, this applies to you as well. Be kind to us and to yourselves until this whole thing is past us and we're able to look back on this from a different mental, physical, emotional, spiritual , teaching, and learning space.
*My role this year is that of a partially-released School-Based Teacher Leader (SBTL) for English. I also teach, by choice, one section of a dual-enrollment Communications class.
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