We need to talk about teachers for a minute everyone. This one is important.

Yesterday I bought a copy of The Secret Clock by Nancy Drew at Goodwill simply because the cover was identical to the one I read in elementary school, tucked into my desk at Catholic school. I would sit in my little plaid uniform, greedily reading whatever book my teacher said she thought I would love because I loved her.
Then I’d go home to my parents and tell them all about what I had read and I remember begging them to buy me more Nancy Drew which I’m so lucky followed my teachers lead and together home and school helped me become a reader.

I can still see that teacher...those teachers...all of them. There each and every day supporting us and teaching us. And they all made a mark on my heart.
I bet you have those memory moments too.

I’m so lucky that my dream of working in schools has come true. I now walk through public school halls and watch the teachers I get to coach and learn from making all the magic.

But man, things are different. Especially now.

There is so much going on in the world and so much of it centers around our schools. People are debating ALL THE THINGS. Masks, vaccines, distancing, curriculum, open schools, virtual schools, quarantines. And educators are square in the crossfire.

And it can seriously make your head spin and your heart ache because words are used as weapons in ways that hurt and hurt and hurt some more.

But our teachers, they just want to TEACH.

They are readying those rooms, those stacks of books they will help students choose, the welcoming spaces, the best way to arrange the desks for both learning and safety, how to make each and every student feel like they belong no matter where they come from or what their family believes or what their experiences have been.

They make a space for every, single child..

They have been doing this for weeks thoughtfully and tirelessly. When in fact, they are all quite tired.

But they know that your child and every single other child that walks through the door deserves to feel safe and loved and ready to learn.

Can we please, please help them?

Can we agree to place our arguments aside for a hot minute for the good of our children? Can we agree to prepare our kids to learn by helping them to get as excited as they can about whatever their current situation holds? Can we talk to our kids about the good parts of what is to come and help them know they are strong enough to make it through the struggles?

Can we join with our teachers to get our kids ready to learn?

Our kids will follow our lead. Full stop. And if we are complaining and shouting and looking only at all the negatives our kids will too.
If we are looking for the good wherever you can find it and preparing for the best year we can have and talking about all the things they get to do our kids will too.

It’s really quite simple.

Our teachers are ready to teach our kids. They are ready for your child and they want to take every minute they can to make it a great year.
But they need our help quite desperately. They need us to help ready our kids.

We are the make or break here parents. It’s us. We need to step it up for the sake of our people so our teachers can do their actual jobs. Our kids need us to do better. We all want our kids to be safe and learn and feel like they belong but we need to do our part.

I know in my bones if there is a way through these struggles and we can come out stronger. I don’t know much about what that looks like but I know we need to help our teachers and children out by being our best selves here too. Who is with me?

Amy