Human First, Teacher Second

There are currently eight different groups of students I interact with every week.

For most, I have never taught them face to face, but our interactions are limited to our zoom sessions where I spend 45 minutes teaching them a single subject as a supplement to their main teacher’s instruction.

It would be easier to pretend that I am just a teacher, and check my humanity at my computer before I ever hit the “start meeting” button.

It is such a short amount of time, and we always have a lot to cover, but I know that teachers serve more than one role in their lives.

We teach, of course, but we also are a trusted adult. Someone outside of their immediate family that they feel comfortable talking to.

In this pandemic year, it is more important than ever that we allow some of the “off topic” conversations when we can, because those are the moments that the students feel heard.

Their parents are stressed, trying to parent in a pandemic as well as many working from home as well, dealing with their own day to day struggles.

These kids aren’t dumb, and they hear the news. In addition to the craziness of the United States news, this year, in California, many of my students had to be evacuated for fires coming close, even on a day they were asked to be on Zoom.

I got messages in chat that they were scared, preparing to evacuate, and we talked about those fears.

They asked me about the incident at the Capitol and we talked, and I focused on the fact that Congress was able to return and the election was certified, as proof that it had been resolved and was going to be okay.

My students share these fears with me, because I have shown them in the last several months that I listen, and respond, to whatever they choose to share.

Continue reading on Medium:

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/human-first-teacher-second-daed83ccd5f3