An Appreciation for Teachers who are Homeschooling

An Appreciation for Teachers who are Homeschooling

I’m beyond fortunate that, during the stay-at-home portion of this pandemic, I’ve not had to spend much time on the homeschooling front.

Were I was tackling the job each day, I’d figuratively be an episode of “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” Fortunately, though, my wife, Amanda, is a teacher and has been more than well-equipped to take on the task. While currently teaching kindergarten, she’s taught a range of classes -- all the way up to eighth grader -- during her career.

What I’ve seen from her has been impressive – and heartwarming. While at home, she hasn’t been just a mother and teacher concerned about her own kids, she’s been dedicated to and worried her at-home students from the classroom. She’s been worried about how they are dealing with their issues.

Amanda has spent hours writing summaries and updates on her students so she can update her students’ next teachers. She wants them to know what skills they’ve learned and where they’ll need a little extra assistance. She’s checked in with student’s families. She’s held video meetings with her kids and prepared packets of work to help her students stay on track. She has stayed up until 2 and 3 a.m. doing webinars to enhance her skills and classroom techniques. She has worried about her students keeping up with their reading skills so they can continue to grow and learn.

Hardly a day goes by in which she doesn’t mention what they might be doing if they were in school that day. She’s continued to order books through her “Blooming with Books” program, which has been able to provide take-home books to each of the enrolled kindergarteners at McNinch Primary School.

I am very proud of the job my wife does as a teacher and the difference she makes in the lives of her young students. During the teacher strikes over the last few years I’ve written blogs in support of the work teaching professionals do and its importance to society.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of schools has given us all another opportunity to appreciate what teachers do each day and their dedication to their students.

Please take the opportunity to thank your children’s teachers for their work.