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Educators Respond To Covid-19
For educators, Fall brings excitement and anticipation. After Summer’s rest and rejuvenation, and perhaps a little professional development, most welcome a new school year. But this is 2020. Covid-19 obliterated spring lessons plans and now poses more questions than answers for the 2020-2021 school year. Last May, while educators wrapped up a highly unusual semester, I prepared a keynote address for an August Early Childhood Educators conference. Since I did not teach last year, I needed to hear from those emerging from the trenches. So I conducted a survey. Although the event was ultimately cancelled, the information gleaned through the survey proved invaluable with messages worth sharing. This article includes…
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Passing the Baton
It was the 1950’s. The sport: Track and Field. The event: Men’s Relay. At the last minute, the team was short one man, as the story goes. After already running one leg, our dad dashed across the field and was allowed (don’t ask me why) to run a second. One race, two opportunities to pass the baton. That season secured a place for the team in the school’s hall of fame. That race put our dad there. I never heard this story from his lips. Our mom shared it. His schoolmates told us more about it at the Hall of Fame ceremony. You see, our dad’s life-race was cut short.…
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Are You Climbing the Walls?
I do not rock climb. Oh, no. The thought of scaling walls towering above makes my hands sweat just thinking about it. I can’t say I’ve even faced the opportunity. Yet I have faced many a proverbial brick wall, those insurmountable situations that leave you feeling helpless. The “no way out and no way in” circumstances that seem impossible and impassable. Ever been there? Maybe you are at the base of such a wall right now. I recently read a similar scene in Joshua chapter 6. Picture this situation: Verse 1: “Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred. No one went out and no one came in. “…
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Alright. What then?
Yeah, a lot of events are being cancelled. Did you have plans to go to Disney for spring break? POOF! Mickey’s chosen social distancing. Last night I planned to dine with friends and attend a concert. Just as we were getting ready to leave, BAM! Cancelled. I have two exciting trips planned in the next few months… Yikes! I don’t like having my plans messed with! Can you relate? Sadness and disappointment come in other forms as well. Yesterday, I heard of three friends losing loved ones. (Not from THE virus, by the way.) Death especially has a way of robbing us of our plans, hopes, and dreams. Proverbs 19:21…
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Shedding Light on Suicide
Imagine being in a dark, dark room – pitch black. There are no doors, no windows. There is seemingly no. way. out. This is not an escape room game. Now imagine a faint crack in the blackness. Not light exactly, but a change in the dark. With hopelessness as your only companion you are drawn to it. It’s the only answer. Escape by death. You recognize it. You’ve seen it before. But in fear you’ve ignored it. And it disappeared. But you’re still in darkness. And each time that THING appears it becomes like hope, and you consider it more and more. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is…
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Dear Future Me
Do you ever write notes to your future self? When I’ve completed a task, a lesson plan, even a party, I’ll jot down thoughts for the next time around. I just know by the time I open a file a year later, I will never remember such details as “buy more forks” or “take two days for this lesson” or “don’t forget name tags!” Reflecting on the year 2018, what would you tell the future you? What are some lessons, simple or profound, you know you’ll probably forget in the future? Here are a few to get you thinking: Dear Future Me: In this new year be more flexible. You…
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