The Uphill Miles
by Amy Campbell, 2020 Washington State Teacher of the Year
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles written by 2020 Washington Regional Teachers of the Year about their strategies and reflections on teaching during COVID-19 school facility closures. See the rest of the series.
Today I ran seven miles. It wasn’t a speed workout or long run. It was a fartlek; an endurance run with varied terrain, moderate pace, and even effort. In running, “even effort” means keeping your energy output the same, though your pace may actually fluctuate throughout the run. On smooth, even surfaces or gradual downhills, your pace will naturally increase though your respirations and heart rate stay the same. But the opposite tends to be true when running uphill. Your pace will likely decrease, as you attempt to maintain respirations and heart rate as the work becomes harder.
Today’s route was roadside flat for the first two miles and then some rolling hills. I kind of like the little hills that make it challenging, but not excruciating, and keep me engaged with what I’m doing.
Next was a long downhill. Twenty years ago, my parents managed a local running club. The stretch of road I was coasting down in the middle of today’s run was part of an event they used to put on: The Downhill Mile. People came from all over the county to race down an evenly pitched and perfectly straight stretch of two-lane road to try to set new personal records in the mile. I enjoyed my mid-run downhill mile. Without the expenditure of additional energy, I was able to move at top speeds. In that moment I felt like a runner. I looked like a runner, and I felt like I could go forever.
Of course, what goes down must go up.
I turned a corner. I knew it was coming. The next stretch was necessary to get back to my house, but it’s winding, it’s long, and it’s all uphill.
Fortunately, I knew the reward at the end, a flawless view of Vancouver Lake, and I knew all I had to do was get to the top. Even effort, I told myself. But even so my pace slowed, my respirations got deeper and faster, my heart pounded, everything hurt. I was working hard, working my way up and up and up. And for a moment it was too much. I let my feet stop, and I looked at my watch. The sweat dripped. I contemplated giving up the run or maybe turning around as I gazed up to the top of hill.
But that’s when I heard a neighbor cheer. Not a quiet cheer but a loud “you got this” cheer. I see you and this is hard. I started running again. In that moment, I saw my students.
As we discuss equity during COVID-19, we often talk about hungry children, overburdened children, children without access, children with disabilities, or who are still learning English. The list is long. There’s a lot of talk about giving grace, but these families and children deserve more than grace. They deserve to be seen. Some of our students are running The Downhill Mile, and some of our students are working just as hard, but their course is uphill. For those students, the same amount of effort will result in a slower pace, and every hurdle to overcome increases the pitch of the hill. Even with the same energy they won’t be anywhere near finished when others successfully complete their run. This goes beyond just losing the equalizing effects of our classrooms. The barriers our students already faced are exacerbated by a pandemic. This makes me wonder, what is there to keep them going? What is waiting at the end? How long until this sustained effort becomes too much?
In an attempt to judge success fairly, it could be tempting to compare the times. But just as these times do not really reflect effort a student puts forth, neither may the quantity and quality of work we see from each student. Numerical representations of participation and attendance are going to look vastly different for each student. The OSPI Student Learning and Grading Guidance ensures no student “fail” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance that we “do no harm” goes beyond just giving grace because a student didn’t finish with the rest.
All our students are running. We need to give them all validation. They all need and deserve that “you got this” cheer. I cheer for my students because they’re running uphill. I cheer because the top is far, and it is going to take a long time and a lot of effort. I cheer because when I can’t change the slope for them, I can still change my reaction.
I finished my seven-mile run. It wasn’t as fast as it was 10 years ago, and I gave myself some grace. But for this 38-year-old, the fast miles were fast, and they felt great. The uphill miles were slow, but today they felt like victory.
