Teacher of the Month: April
“A teacher should inspire a child to reach academic success; A parent should inspire their child to use that success in a way that influences positive change in the world”
In some way or another, this is a quote that we all know. We go to school looking to reach academic success and come home to our parents and guardians inspiring us to use what our teachers taught us. However, as COVID-19 happened and our lives began to change, the role of both our parents and teachers have changed. The teachers we once looked to for academic guidance struggled to find answers and became emotional supports and delivering their teachings to the best of their extent. They became inspirations to us, always understanding and trying to help us stay motivated. Parents we once looked to for inspiration became the ones teaching us. To help celebrate the role that parents have taken during these times, we've decided to dedicate our Teacher of the Month position to every parent, guardian, grandparent, and sibling who has become our teachers and advisers.
Here are some of the things that our loved ones have wanted to share with us about their experiences with remote learning.
-Teaching takes a lot of patience, grace, encouragement, and compassion (especially when teaching your own kids who may or may not be a lot like you).
-The phrases just a minute, wait a second, in a little bit, not right now, put a shirt on, I'm on a call, sure you can have another snack, and we missed your zoom are just a few of the many heard on a daily basis.
-All I can say is we are hanging on by a thread here and it seems as if we are itching for the end of school when we are doing it from home as we would be if we were still in the building.
-As we have navigated the last portion of the school year, it’s been the longest and most literal episode of “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader”! We have had so much come out of this experience (more successes than shortcomings), especially knowing that through all of the different roles we have each had to play, patience and understanding have come through for each of us!
Through distance learning, I have learned that…
-My kids want school so much more that they thought they would while simultaneously not
wanting to do all of the work
-Some teachers ignite a spark to keep reading the next chapter even if it is not assigned
-The library is greatly missed
-It is common to ask "what day is it" every day
-Relationships with adults and kids in the building are so incredibly valuable
-Grace, empathy, tone, punctuation, and emojis are grossly underrated
-Lunch workers and custodians deserve a raise
-Teachers, administrators, and clear communication are very much vital and appreciated
This has been an incredibly difficult experience for everyone involved, including the students, teachers, and parents. We would like to thank everyone who has been our teacher this year, whether formally employed as such or not. We couldn't have gotten through this without you, and our future is more successful, inspired, and headed for success than we could've ever imagined.
336 South Main Street
Arlington, Ohio 45814
Phone: 419-365-5121
Fax: 419-365-1282