"Teaching during COVID19- this is not what I signed up for..."
“Teaching during COVID19- this is not what I signed up for…”
I never thought working with children would put my life or health at risk. Sure, as a Teacher who worked with children with special needs there may have been the occasional bump or bruise from intervening a little bit too quickly to assist a disruptive child or help an upset student AND there was that one time a parent did try to hit me (I kid you not. Those of you that have worked with me may recall the time I had to call 911 on a PARENT, but that’s another story….)
I understand that if you are a soldier or a healthcare worker that is part of the job description but for educators that just did not seem to be in the realm of possibility. 2020 started off typically enough for most of us and then the unexpected and unprecedented happened. None of us could have planned for the upheaval that took place in classrooms all across this country and the world.
For most of us there were mixed messages and miscommunications as well as conflict over how to proceed while working with children. Some of us continued to work in school settings with various restrictions in place, or should I say constantly changing restrictions and limitations incurred while interacting with children… some of us turned to working remotely while others navigated a hybrid of working both in person and virtually with students and some of us, unfortunately, were unable to continue working.
We want to hear what you are doing and what has been working for you in whatever school setting you are working. What are some of your successes? What instructional suggestions would you want to share with a colleague?
We want to hear from you!
These times have been so challenging, and I really appreciated reading this post!
ReplyDeleteTeaching during COVID 19 is not what I signed up for. It sucked. Every day was a nightmare because everything felt out of control. I felt helpless teaching three-year-old students over zoom for many reasons. The first obstacle was learning new technology in a concise amount of time. I did not struggle mastering Zoom, Google Classroom, and Flipgrid, but understanding how to teach parents was a significant challenge. Parents wrested with the new platforms, so they emailed me for help while I was live streaming. Some were angry for "not giving" them the correct information despite the fact we emailed and messaged them with login information for virtual classes. We did not want to place too much burden on parents, but without parents' help, children could not participate, let alone log in. Overworked but parents looked exhausted, and slowly fewer children came to the virtual live classes.
ReplyDeleteLearning to work with the new platforms were challenging, but dealing with overburdened parents was mentally exhausting. Everyone was affected by the pandemic, and teaching students in the epicenter made an everyday living hell. Parents constantly vented their problems and frustrations to their children and the school. They attacked that their children were not listening to the lesson. And they compared their child to their classmates who could sit still in front of the camera. They were frustrated that their child was "not good" students.
Everyone/s health was (is) at risk. Working with children was scary because they bring germs from everywhere. Also, many of their parents traveled all over the world for business trips. Before quartine regulation was in place, children will still attend school. I felt uncomfortable because, at the time, none knew how Covid could affect children. Despite the fear of infection, I was more concerned about getting harassed because I am Asian. I commuted from Washington Heights to Clinton Hill during the height of the pandemic. I got threats and mistreated for riding the MTA. Franky, I was relieved of teaching remotely, so I did not have to face a daily dose of racial slurs. Somedays, I have wondered if risking my life to teach was worth it.
Even after school reopened, all the CDC regulations piled more work on teachers. We constantly cleaned, measured temperatures, and more health checks. It was ridiculous trying to regulate young children to social distance. To make matters worse, I could not see my family and friends for the holidays. I started to question if sacrificing my family was worth teaching. In conclusion, teaching during Covid 19 is not what I signed up for.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. COVID19 has had a profound effect on teachers and teaching EVERYWHERE. I wish I could say your experience of facing upset, stressed and angry parents and families is unique but unfortunately it is not. I would like to think that everyone is dealing or trying to deal with COVID19 and the challenges of working as best that they can.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to teaching during COVID19 we are now faced with challenges of racism and equity especially in schools. People are upset and isolated and feelings are raw. However, this is not an excuse to attack or harass others.
Everyday we are facing new and different obstacles and restrictions. This is a difficult time for everyone. I commend you for your strength and dedication to children especially now when your students need you the most.
Your post really stopped me in my tracks and helped me to connect to the real struggles of early childhood teachers during this time. You so clearly described the feelings that you were experiencing and the complexities of emotions for all of those involved. Thank you for taking the time to write down your experiences.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have been supporting student teachers during this time, their experiences are different, as they are not responsible for all of the relationships and safety measures that a lead teacher is experiencing. Zooming doesn't work for young children and no matter what you were mandated to do, it was just impossible to do it. That reality coupled with your own real life issues, including being harassed because you are Asian, makes this time a challenge beyond any measure that we have ever experienced. I salute you for not quitting and for continuing to show up. I hope that the summer will provide you with healing time and space to reflect on the impact that this has had on you. Maybe time and space will also offer you what is needed to recalibrate your passion and love for teaching when times change. Whatever you do, make sure you remember that you were on the frontlines, showing up and doing your part. A noble and honorable gesture like that demands healing time. Now, please take good care of yourself, as I am certain you took care of all of those that depended on you.
I would like to start off by saying how truly sorry I am for all the people who struggled tremendously due to COVID. Fortunately, I was not one of those people. I did have COVID in the beginning of the pandemic but was able to overcome it and was still able to teach (virtually) during that time. Yes, there were challenges I never thought I would encounter and yes, things did get very difficult but overall I still had my job, my health, and my family.
ReplyDeleteDuring the last 7 months, I have been fortunate enough to teach in-person. At times, we would have to transition to virtual learning if COVID cases were present in the school or if a possible exposure took place but luckily my team and I were prepared. We took workshops over the summer that informed us about the best ways to teach preschoolers virtually and about Zoom which was helpful and informative. The course talked about the importance of visuals, creativity and screen breaks. These things were taken into account for remote learning and helped the students and educators to be successful.
One of the greatest challenges my team and I encountered when teaching remotely was the lack of student attendance. Parents were not able to assist there children and children were not able to navigate the computer independently. Each day we would only have about 3-4 children attend Zoom school allowing the others to quickly fall behind. During this time, I felt helpless. I could not offer my students the assistance they needed and I couldn’t give the parents the answers they wanted to hear. However, I tried my best to help the families and that was all I could do. Luckily, we are currently in-person again and I am hoping this will be the case for the rest of the school year now that most of the educators are vaccinated.
The best piece of advice that I can offer is to use the resources around you. If you are not familiar with online teaching programs register for workshops to become more knowledgeable. Also, work with your peers and colleagues to share lessons or tips and discuss things that have been working. Talking to others and knowing that you are not alone will allow you to move forward. Lastly, remind yourself that you will get through this and we will return to normalcy sooner than later.
Good luck!
Morgan, thank you so much for your words of encouragement. While so many people (and families!) are isolated this is an important time to come together (virtually and spiritually) to support one another. Teachers are a wonderful resource and often do not realize how much they know, how much they do AND how much influence they have. We are stronger together.
DeleteReflecting upon the last year of teaching within a pandemic has brought up many memories. Thoughts of panic, gratitude, hopelessness, disconnect, fear, and privilege all come to mind when I think about my personal experience as an early childhood educator during this time.
ReplyDeleteI think the panic that overcame me in March of last year was what the rest of NYC felt. When I could, I got a ticket to stay with family in California. My work began figuring out an online structure. I was working with 1.5 year olds, so the goal of the online school was for continuity. We were not trying to replicate a school day, but instead keep socializations and sense of community alive in what would become an incredibly isolating time. But we felt that we owed the kids and parents more than just logging on to read books and sing songs, so we offered drop-in sessions to the parents. We had no agenda, we were just trying to be there for them in any way we could. Early on, the parents clung to this. Some parents asked developmental questions like “How do I change his diaper when he doesn’t want to?” Some parents cried sharing their fear, grief, or exhaustion. Some parents sat their kid in front of the computer to visit with us, but would sneak away for a moment of reprieve, and we couldn't blame them. I think all teachers are natural givers, giving knowledge, hugs, advice. But during the height of lockdown, I felt that I could not give enough, and conversely when I was giving so much to others, I often overlooked what I needed for myself.
Eventually my job gave an official re-open date: July 6, 2020. I have since transitioned to a new school, but at the time, the school I was at was a year round program. It felt way too soon. My school had a solid plan with detailed protocol. Coming from California, I had to quarantine for 14 days. I felt lucky that I did not have go in right away, but also guilty that my coworkers had to navigate this. We were told that the children would not be wearing masks, we would be given an extra shirt to change into, and an N-95 mask if we used public transportation. These did not seem effective PPE. It felt like we were being sacrificed. The moment I returned to the classroom, I relinquished any hope that I would stay safe and healthy. It seemed that I was becoming a front line worker to sing the ABC’s to children. ECE is so much more involved than songs, but it did not feel like it at the time. This compounded with gaslighting from my administrators asking the teachers “Why don’t you feel safe? I feel safe at work.” When they were able to stay in their offices and not enter classrooms at all and drive into work. I did not feel that my mental, emotional, or physical health was being taken into consideration.
In August I began looking for a new job. I quickly found a new job and transitioned in a new role. I do not regret it, but it has been an adjustment. Starting a new job is already a bit isolating, but doing so in a year where the amount of interaction is limited to a “pod” is a very strange feeling. Additionally, at this new job, the protocols have been heightened exponentially compared to the previous job. This is obviously much appreciated, but it is a lot of manage while still creating somewhat of a normal classroom experience for the children. I genuinely feel safer at work, but there are still many obstacles that have been presented, even with all of the protocols in place. One main obstacle being that my school is in person until there is a resounding need to go remote. This has happened in both planned and unplanned instances. This means that we have had to plan for both instances. We are a hybrid school without being called a hybrid school. I work with 2-3 year olds, remote school is very difficult to translate. I believe that teachers have been asked to do the impossible this year whether they are remote or in person. There is either a lack of genuine instruction or many safety obstacles faced. My motto this year has genuinely been “We are doing the best that we can.”
Rachel, so well stated and bears repeating, "I believe that teachers have been asked to do the impossible this year whether they are remote or in person. There is either a lack of genuine instruction or many safety obstacles faced. My motto this year has genuinely been “We are doing the best that we can.” Thank you for sharing!
DeleteLike most people, before COVID I could have never imagined a world where just being around other people would be dangerous. This year has been crazy in so many ways, and a big part of that has definitely been figuring out how to teach during a pandemic. Of course, throughout it all I feel very lucky that I am a relatively young person who lives with other young people. Most likely, if I got COVID or transmitted it to my roommates, we would all be fine. I might feel much differently about teaching if I or someone I lived with was at high risk. Because of this, I have never felt personally that I was in danger while teaching in person, although I know for many teachers this is not the case. For me, the much greater challenge than potentially exposing myself to COVID while teaching in person was attempting to teach preschool over Zoom last spring and summer.
ReplyDeleteThe transition to online learning was certainly a struggle for our school. In particular, our school uses almost no technology in the classroom, and many of the teachers are older and not used to using technology. When a parent first suggested online learning, back in March 2020 when we thought we would only be out for two weeks, the teachers laughed at such an idea, after all how could our play-based preschool translate to Zoom? However, when it appeared that we would be out for much longer, we ended up transitioning to remote learning.
This was a huge struggle for the students and families as well as for the teachers. We quickly learned that your typical school activities did not translate to Zoom, and students quickly became bored or disengaged, not being at the developmental level where they can really focus on a screen. We soon transitioned to activities that DO work on Zoom, such as scavenger hunts or cooking activities we could do together. We also implemented "small groups", where one or two students could have a meeting with the teachers to talk about anything they wanted. We saw the benefit of online learning more as staying connected with our class, rather than learning academics. Even though this was somewhat successful, only about one third of our students participated in online learning at all, most of our students we almost never saw on Zoom.
This year, we have been back to fully in-person learning. Even when we are closed or a classroom has to close for COVID, they do not do remote learning during that time. However, things are much different this year. Certain things the kids have loved during other years, such as dress-up, our ball pit, and the sand table, have had to close. Because we keep distance while indoors, we cannot read books to crowds of children anymore, and instead they have to sit distanced in a circle while we read. All those things have taken a bit of getting used to, but by far the most successful adaptation we have made for COVID is having most of our school day outside in Prospect Park. There are many classroom activities that we have been able to successfully transition to the park, such as circle time, read-alouds, and certain movement activities. However, one major benefit of being in the park has been seeing how the kids are able to explore nature. As an urban school located in Brooklyn, we had never spent much time in nature before, so it was wonderful to see the children get so used to being in nature, playing with mud, sticks, rocks, grass, and all kinds of things we found in the park. The different areas we go in the park spark different parts of our students' imaginations-- there are certain areas where the children always pretend to go fishing, and an area that they pretend is a pirate ship. We teachers have also become more comfortable in nature, and discovering Prospect Park with my class this year is something that I will always be grateful for. I hope that in future years we will use this learning experience to continue to take advantage of the outdoors, since I really do believe it is beneficial for young children to spend time in nature.
Yes, Lily, children are resilient! Isn't it amazing how children (young children especially)
Deletecan always find something to connect to? This just goes to show you that you do not need a lot of expensive toys to engage with children. Nature has appeared to have benefitted from the pandemic- lack of crowds and pollution (in some areas) and perhaps this has been a real wake up call for us not to take nature and the earth for granted. I'm glad to hear that you will continue to take advantage of outdoor play and exploration with your students.
Teaching during this pandemic has been the most stressful time of my life. March 13, 2020 they closed school and we all thought it would be for a couple of weeks. That day I had the worst headache of my life. I could not walk or move and I wasn't sure why. I had a fever and I could not breathe.Two weeks later, I tested positive for COVID. My best friend who was also a teacher and was sick at the same time also tested positive. She went to the hospital and I was texting with her and letting her know she was going to be okay. She passed away alone in the hospital and I only knew because she wasn't answering me. I began to fear for my life too. I didn't want to go to the hospital and die alone. For five weeks I was sick and scared. I quarantined away from my family and began to teach remotely to my preschool students. At this point, my assistant called me and she too tested positive and lost two family members.
ReplyDeleteMany of my parents were healthcare or essential workers and also grandparents. They were not able to engage on zoom or complete any activities I would send home for the children. They also suffered loss and anxiety as I did and I felt so helpless because I could not explain to them why this was happening and if it would get any better. For these students, they lost the socialization that preschool gives to students. They lost a place to play with their friends and read stories with their teachers. They lost family members and friends.
My school reopened on September 10, 2020 for hybrid learning. There are 9 in school students and 7 remote and they alternate schedules from 3 days a week and 2 days a week in person. Although it is more than last year, not many parents engage on zoom. I send out weekly lessons and activities so that parents can engage and understand what we are doing in school. There are activities for them to do at home and upload their work but I only have one or two who complete.They bring their child to school on the days they are scheduled and drop them off.
I complete health checks each morning dressed for combat. I am in scrubs with a mask and face shield and I look scary. I could only imagine how the students felt meeting me for the first time dressed like that. I wear gloves and clean each table, chair, and item that the children touch. I am a social worker, a nurse, and a mom inside school. Just recently, I sent a child to the nurse with a fever and coughing. He was sent to the "angel room" where he waited for his parents to pick him up. His father was very upset and was yelling and cursing because he did not have time for this he was working from home. I was now terrified for other reasons. Admin did not step in and explain protocol for sick children. He told the father that it wouldn't happen again and anytime the child showed symptoms he would take care of it. To say I did not sign up for this is an understatement. It is not about teaching at this point, it is about surviving.
We are also not able to use the outdoor space for recreation so students in school are stuck inside the classroom all day. I constantly remind them to wear their masks, wash their hands and sanitize. The students seem to be getting used to these rules and for the most part are following guidelines. Teaching is my passion and although I did not sign up to do it this way, I will do my best to create a safe, and welcoming space for my children. We spent so much time keeping the children away from the screen and now we are asking them to spend hours a day in front of the computer. My hope is that we can all return to the classroom one group. I know the parents are struggling and some have to work in person, however, teachers have families too and we all need to stay safe and well.
Wow, Lisa what a year you have had. I'm so sorry for your loss, and yet, you are so dedicated and optimistic about the future. I think that you are and may be the one positive and consistent optimistic person in the lives of your students. Sometimes teachers do not realize the effect they have on their students in the moment but I hope you realize how powerful and strong a role model you are.
DeleteThe week of March 9th - March 13th of 2020, myself and my team of preschool teachers were filled with an impending sense of dread. On lunch breaks, we would rapidly refresh the DOE Twitter accounts and UFT feeds to see if public schools were thinking about closing and how we could advocate for ourselves (not being in a teachers union). When the state announced public school closures on the 16th we were left in the lurch: the terrifying gray area of not knowing enough about the virus, and being a private day school for students aged 2-4 that was deemed an essential business. As our school’s site manager, I called the DOH to inquire if we should stay open or close too, their response was: “Our offices are closing, and we are sending our staff home. Your day school can remain open but we will not be conducting inspections during this time.” I felt frustrated, and scared for our students, families, and teachers. To be told the school could remain open, yet there was no official oversight from the state seemed negligent.
ReplyDeleteMyself and the other teachers recognized our strength in numbers and created our own mini union. We forced our director to have a vote: to stay open in person or to close and try remote learning. We voted to close, and were left by our director to navigate the waters alone of moving early education online. The other teachers and I created 2-3 child circle time sessions in the morning, followed by art, science, music, and read-aloud afternoon sessions. We ordered supplies for lessons and dropped off or mailed out 2 week learning kits. With the aid of a small business paycheck protection grant - we were able to make online teaching happen until the summer. Ultimately this model was not sustainable for the day school - parents needed full time toddler care, and keeping a 3 year old in front of a screen for a prolonged period of time was tricky. I worked tirelessly with another coworker to set in place health and safety features to allow for our school to reopen for the fall, and to give it the business the best chance of surviving. In the end, our decision to close for those several months came at a cost. It was announced to parents recently that after this summer our day school will be closing permanently. Recently I’ve been feeling guilty for the choice we made, especially for my leadership in rallying up the teachers to mini-unionize and force a temporary closure. Ultimately, this led to the upcoming permanent closure of a small business and a great day school. I’ll never apologize for my activism and advocacy on behalf of my staff and team of teachers, but I do feel the weight and burden of the consequences of our collective action in my soul.
The impact of COVID-19 has been tremendous all around the world. From loss of life to small changes like how I stand on the subway. I know life will never be the same. After just passing the 1 year mark of our closure date, I like to think back on the progression of ‘returning to care’ as we call it at our Early Childhood Center where I am currently on the administration team. We never went remote as our students are birth - 5 years old and the age-range made it difficult. At first, teachers had zoom calls with their students where they read books together, but after the weeks passed and the fact that they were furloughed, the meetings stopped.
ReplyDeleteAfter 6 months on furlough, I received the call in July that we would reopen our center in August and I would need to report to the center, in-person, in 3 days to prepare. It was my job to understand the new protocols, to teach them to our teachers, and to make sure they felt comfortable coming to work. This was not an easy task as I myself was hesitant to start riding the NYC subway again, to see my coworkers in person, to face the families everyday. I would surely be putting myself at risk. I was on admin, so teachers and families looked to me for guidance and safety, but at this point I was hesitant.
After receiving my first training of how we would reopen I was shocked. I would wear a full visor, mask, gloves, and disposable smock to greet the families. The list of ‘No’s was incredibly long… “no highfives, no bubbles, no goggles, no neighborhood walks, no sensory play…” I thought to myself, if we have to say no to so many things, is it worth being open? Is this going to work? Will the care be the same? Passing on the list of new protocols to my teachers, they thought the same. But I had to put on my happy face and assure them that yes, we would be fine. I would be there for them. But behind closed doors I was nervous. That first day we were open, the children were afraid of me with all my PPE on. They couldn’t recognize me. They cried and kicked to not be dropped off at the front door. I questioned if this was going to have negative impacts on the children. Thankfully, as children do, they adapted to the new drop off routine and my scary outfit.
Then they changed my title from Assistant Director to Health and Safety Director. It felt that they put the burden of ‘keeping COVID out’ solely on me. When we had our first positive case, I felt personally like a failure. I failed my coworkers, the families, and the company. But this first case brought on a new wave of feeling unsafe. I really questioned if families were using us as simple childcare and not as the preschool we all felt we were.
Then one day a desperate mom dropped off her infant. In tears, she told me about the guilt she felt bringing her daughter to us, how she wanted her home but she couldn’t get the work of her high-stress job done. Her husband was also on calls all day and the baby was now mobile. Another mom told me she was working on the Pfizer vaccine. Another family were doctors dealing with COVID patients. My job took on a new meaning. We were there to get the workforce back up and running. I saw the unemployment numbers dropping and I finally felt good about coming to work. A few weeks later, the vaccine was open to essential workers and I eligible. I walked around the center with 10 of our 14 classrooms open at their new maximum capacities, and I saw what my unease had been missing. I saw 55 children playing with their friends. I saw them return to a routine. I saw them learning. I saw families feeling safe with us. I saw how grateful they were that we were open, that their child could socialize again. That life could return to normal. I felt that the end of this pandemic might actually be soon.
I had to take a giant step back and realize that everything changed, but there were still great things happening. We adapted. As educators that is one of our greatest attributes; flexibility.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Alyssa. I really feel that teachers are the most flexible, resourceful and optimistic group out there. Especially when one interacts with young children you never know what your day will look like! It appears that you were able to see "the bigger picture" and the role that you and your site provided during this most challenging time. I'm glad that you took the time to reflect and share your experiences during the past year.
DeleteCovid 19 has upended life as we knew it in the U.S. and globally. Being an early childhood educator has brought me to face personal and collective fears, heartbreak, isolation, angst, and grief that we all have been facing, in some form. While looking within, I’ve also been looking externally, into what’s possible in the future. This pandemic, and this moment, has underlined deep-seated, historical, structural, and institutional inequities in our society. As an educator, I’ve been reflecting on how to move towards something new: What is truly important? What kind of world do we want now and for future generations? Who do I need to be as an educator to support such shifts in the classroom and beyond?
ReplyDeleteBeing on zoom, during such an intense and unprecedented time, was stressful and exhausting. At the same time, access to screen time, in my case, was a privilege, and it made it possible to sustain a beloved connection with the children and families in my class. My experience of months of remote learning with young children and their families was a practice in holding fast to community, joy, being present in the moment - and seeing how a play-based, child-centered approach can be translated to this scenario. It was clear that the learning environment was now mostly home, and the facilitators were parents. So our job was to follow the children’s lead, and the families’ - and to invite parents to activities based on what they were able to do at home. We wrote simple play-based ideas that the children can experience with their family. Our remote meetings were also about creating multi sensory and meaningful moments together. And they were also about making and playing “together”, and reflecting with the larger group.
This experience fortified my view that what nurtures children’s development in early childhood is a play-based approach, social and emotional support, warmth, connection, belonging, and a sense of community. It has also been clear that the health and wellbeing of families is pivotal in the young child’s life, and for our communities as a whole. I think this pandemic has brought it home to me on a deeper level that the relationship between school and home for young children is vital, and that educators and families must be partners. I am grateful to be at a school that values these elements - and has sustained this stance.
Returning to in-person learning during the time of Covid 19 has been intense and trying in many ways. I have learned that daily self-care is integral. For me this includes taking a moment to pause, breath, and stretch, be intentional about a good night’s sleep, and eat well. Now more than ever, we live with high levels of stress and uncertainty, and our multi-faceted job asks of us a high-level of responsiveness. Caring for ourselves is crucial for our health and wellbeing, and so we can show up for our family’s, and the children, families, and communities we work with.
In-person learning has forced us to rethink approaches, practices, materials, and how to keep young children and ourselves “safe”. It has also shown me that relationship, community, play-based learning, and social and emotional responsiveness, and wellbeing are at the heart of what is needed in early learning - now and moving forward. I feel that when we focus more on young children “academically” it does a disservice to early childhood practitioners, children, and families. It misses the studies and experiences that confirm play-based, developmentally appropriate practices, and social emotional support and skills building as key in early learning and ongoing academic success. What is the pressure for ever earlier “academic learning” in the early years? Who is it for? What do we value as a society?
During this time of big change, I have been leaning into my sense of purpose - and the meaning behind this practice. I have been thinking about how as educators our work with children and families can mirror what we vision beyond the classroom walls. I vision all children having a happy childhood, with all they need to thrive.
Very well said Jacqueline. If there is one positive outcome from COVID19 it's the importance of relationships and relationship building for (young) children. It's wonderful that you were able and continue to reflect on what's important to you and how you engage with your students and families. Thank you for sharing!
DeletePersonally for me, the pandemic has made my first year of teaching way more complicated than anticipated. I feel that because I was not seasoned coming into it, I did not have the knowledge or experience to handle certain situations or make the learning process as easy as I could’ve for the students. However, although it took some time for me to adjust, I improved a lot along the way. I went into teaching in person since the very start of the academic year. It was definitely nerve wrecking because I still do live at home with my family who has never had Covid before and my little sister who suffers from asthma. The thought of possibly getting one of them sick weighed heavily on my mind and really stressed me out.
ReplyDeleteBefore getting into this profession I read and heard so much about how much hard work and dedication teachers really put in, and living it first hand, I see how little the compensation is for teachers. We deserve a much higher pay than we get now for simply risking our lives and putting the very best effort we have into educating the next generation. It is beyond difficult having to juggle in person and remote students. I feel like neither group gets the undivided attention. Parents complain a lot because of this and there is only so much we can do for the circumstances. I wonder when life goes back to normal, and we go back to having a full class, how that experience will be like and if it will be easier to manage than the structure we have going now.