“I spent today removing my personal belongings from my classroom. Nothing but empty desks remained. I cried all the way home. Right now, we’re scared to death.”
‘We buy supplies. We prepare for gunmen. We spend nights and weekends away from family to make your children feel supported.’: Teacher urges ‘give us a minute’ among school reopening crisis
‘I usually feel giddy. But this way of life is so sad. I wish I could be there to greet them. There is no winning.’: Teacher shares hopes and fears for distant school year, ‘Focus on the positive’
“The last thing I wanted was for a student to end the school year with a D or F. Every time I crossed a student off my list, I’d do a little victory dance in my kitchen. It’s been a mixed bag of emotions.”
‘Teachers are lazy.’ Umm… WHAT? It’s shocking what low value is placed on those who care for your children.’: Educator discusses upcoming year, ‘Remember, teachers are humans too’
“I am watching my teacher friends talk about making wills. These are not the conversations we normally have in July. We are not healthcare workers or first responders. And for the love of God, do not give them fever reducers so you can send them to school.”
‘It was like watching someone meet their soulmate. None of them knew when it would be their last time together.’: Mom says even ‘bare minimum’ back in classroom is a ‘game changer’
“They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. It was something truly special to watch.”
‘I can’t be the reason your child got sick and died. It would ruin me. There is no EASY answer.’: Elementary speech and language pathologist shares why returning to school isn’t worth the risk
“I’m going to have to tell your kindergartners they can’t hold hands, even though we spend SO MUCH TIME teaching kids to be friends with each other. I’m going to have to tell that shy, little boy who reaches for my hand for some security, he can’t hold my hand.”
‘She told me her breasts were sore and her period was late. ‘But I can’t get pregnant. I think there’s something else going on.’: Woman urges ‘if your friend has a miscarriage, don’t pretend it didn’t happen’
“I encouraged her to take a home pregnancy test. She did, and texted me later that it was negative. Imagine her surprise a couple of weeks later when she was seven weeks pregnant! Then the bleeding started, and never really stopped. There was no headstone, no cards, no calls, no casseroles.”
‘Forgotten lunch boxes and sweatshirts remain. Untold stories, empty playgrounds. The desks are still full, but empty of the one thing that made them come alive each day.’: Mom says return to school will be ‘a day of celebration’
“The artwork on the walls is full of shamrocks and gold, rainbows, and leprechauns. Spring was right within their grasp. They said, ‘I’ll see you in a little while.’ A little while has gone on longer than anyone imagined it would, but in that classroom, time stands still.”
‘He hugs his teacher, the only attention and connection he will receive for the day. He eats school lunch, the only meals he has.’: Teacher explains why ‘schools are irreplaceable’
‘When I read the recent comments by influential and powerful people who want to make wholesale changes to education because we have ‘all this access to technology,’ I get upset. Schools are essential.”
‘Dear Class of 2020, we are rooting for you, praying for you, and cheering for you.’: Woman says ‘you remind us of where we’ve been, and give us hope for where we’re all going’
“We may not be your parents or grandparents or siblings or aunts or uncles. We are not the people who can tell stories about when you were born or say, ‘I remember when you were a baby, and now look at you!’ But we are rooting for you anyway.”
‘I just dropped off homework next to an empty parking lot and quiet sidewalks. I finally let some tears fall over the loss of this.’: Former teacher says ‘when you hear teachers say they miss their students, they really really do’
“I set the girls’ folders next to folders with their friends’ names — friends they haven’t seen in weeks. I finally let some tears fall over the loss of this. For them. For their teachers. For this school I love so much.”
