As A Teacher In Washington, I’m Relieved They Decided Not To Reopen Schools
Why it is better than putting off the decision
This morning, I slipped quietly into my classroom to write a letter to my high school students. It took me a while. On every printed out copy, I wrote a personal note to each student and then addressed each envelope by hand.
On Monday afternoon, the governor of Washington state announced the closure of schools for the remainder of the school year. It was a difficult decision, met with anger and frustration by many.
Despite the disappointment felt by the majority of our school staff, students, and families, as a teacher, I couldn’t help but feel a certain amount of relief.
Whether we want to admit it or not, the stress of not knowing when or if we would return to the classroom has raised anxiety levels and hampered our ability to focus on, well, just about anything.
It reminds me very much of when I lost my job a few years ago and had to sell my home. While the house was on the market, I had to keep it neat and tidy. I never knew when a showing might happen.
But I also had to live in it. And I had to pack, but I wasn’t sure what to pack because I had no idea how much longer I would be living there. I just wasn’t…
