What this is NOT is a toxic positivity post. It is not posted to invoke any positive or negative feelings one way or another. (well…hopefully some encouragement)

This is a research-based post.

Let me say this first and foremost, it’s always safety first. Teachers, you deserve to feel safe and valued. If you don’t feel safe, how can you be that secret sauce for your students? It’s challenging. It’s difficult. It’s not easy. I see you.

In a SAFE environment, whether it’s learning digitally, hybrid (with safety precautions) or F2F with masks AND safety precautions in the middle of a pandemic—Teachers you are the secret sauce.

This post is to tell you that whether you are teaching digital, hybrid or safely f2f, that YOU, with your high expertise, your passion, your inclusiveness, and your care, are the secret sauce to whatever way you are teaching right now during the pandemic. It’s YOU. It doesn’t really matter what digital platform you are using. It doesn’t really matter what “program” you are using. Truly. It’s the teacher that knows what your students need in order to grow (socio-emotional needs, academic needs, etc). It’s the teacher that builds important relationships with students that makes them WANT to engage, jump on that Zoom, do their work. It’s the teacher that makes the sound instructional decisions to make an impact on students. It’s the teacher that knows when to challenge and when to break it down even more to accelerate learning. It’s the teacher that does this. It is YOU. No pressure. But it has always been you. Even before this awful and mismanaged pandemic.

Some Research:
John Hattie synthesized 1000 research reviews of 50,000 studies and found that the greatest influence on student progression in learning is having highly expert, inspired and passionate teachers and school leaders working together to maximize the effect of their teaching on all students in their care (Hattie 2015, p 2; Hattie 2017).

There is more value in QUALITY over QUANTITY. But that is a whole nother post. 😂

Do what you can, with the time you have while preserving yourself in the process.

TED Talk done 🎤