Page 9 - DistanceLearning

Oftentimes, you don’t appreciate the value of some the reward. As I write
what you had until it’s gone. Perhaps that is true
more now than ever before. If we focus on what is behind us, we
can feel empty with all that was taken for granted in all aspects of
our life. During my experience in education — as a public school
student and as a public school educator — I have always taken for
granted that children would be in the classroom with caring profes-
sionals who would nurture their hearts first and then their minds. I
have always taken for granted that teachers would see the expres-
sions of accomplishment, gratitude, and wonder on their students’
faces. I have always taken for granted that being together as a
school community meant being together physically.
In the middle of March 2020, that changed. Much about the world
that I knew and that my students knew changed. How we greet, how
we express love for our families, how we shop, how we stay safe,
and how we teach changed in an instant. The calm seas behind us
seemed a distant memory as we moved into a tempest of turbulent
seas, of waves shifting the deck underneath our feet. New Jersey
public school educators faced a choice. To succumb and admit defeat
or to shift weight, rebalance and begin to normalize movement of our
ship despite the challenging environmental conditions.
As I thought about how to speak to the hearts of dedicated ed-
ucators at my school, I wanted to acknowledge the continuous
challenges of the situation even though they are far from over. I
wanted to ensure individuals would not fatigue from the constant
stress of trying to right the ship as the swells grow larger and more
treacherous. I wanted to encourage a moment of reflection in the
middle of the storm.
During my second year as principal, I came across a saying that I
have pinned up on the bulletin board near my desk to this day. The
African proverb reads, “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.”
It spoke to me at a time when I felt overwhelmed by the demands
of situations beyond my control. A time when it felt like I had lost
my bearings and sense of balance. A time like now.
Experienced educators know that each challenge you face pres-
ents you with an opportunity for growth. The bigger the challenge,
the bigger the opportunity. The bigger the risk, the more hand-
9
this, the waters are rough, the During my second year as
principal, I came across a
challenges significant, and the
risks terrifying. Behind us the saying that I have pinned
water looks so tranquil and part up on the bulletin board
of each of us would love to turn near my desk to this day.
away and go back. But we can’t The African proverb reads,
and we shouldn’t. “Smooth seas do not
make skillful sailors.”
The current situation of the
pandemic and the advent of
Distance Learning presents a host of challenges and all at the
same time. While these challenges transcend education and
impact many aspects of society, they cannot be ignored. Even the
most basic foundations of public education, such as seeing the
students in the classroom each morning to gauge how they are
doing and being able to use teacher observation of students com-
pleting classwork to know how to proceed have changed. And yet,
the public educators of New Jersey adapt by finding innovative
ways to interact with students and engage them in learning.
I thank you. I thank you for being the wonderful educators that you
have always been. And more importantly, I thank you for seizing
this moment to develop new sailing skills on these rough waters.
I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as we navigate
together. I am proud to see you become a more skilled sailor. I am
proud to see you also take time to assist colleagues in developing
their skills. The larger truth is that skillful sailors do not just need
rough waters to grow their skills, they need each other. We need
each other now even more than before. I encourage you to take a
minute to reflect on how the necessity of this situation has grown
you as an educator and how it has grown your sense of team.
Collaborating and working together in times of adversity is not a
weakness; it is the application of a strength.
Though we will reach calm waters again, the skills you have ac-
quired and developed during this time will be yours forever. We will
outlive the storm with our collective skill enhanced. So, be proud
as an accomplished New Jersey public educator. Be proud as we
sail on together.