This morning as I drove our son to school I watched one of the PE teachers carrying equipment outside. As we sat in line waiting to drop him off, my heart extended to this teacher and all specials teachers. As a previous Health and Physical Education teacher myself, I have first hand experience of being spoken of as less than as a teacher, when we were not in a pandemic. Since March, I have heard many comments about specials during this time and see how the specials teachers, and the content taught, continue to be thought of as less than.
I will be real and share when everything went down last spring, I improvised for specials some days, just trying to adjust to everything, I too put specials on the back burner. Yet specials aren’t less than, they are a different way to engage our kid’s as learners. So I chose to put myself in those teacher’s shoes, and saw how they are doing their best to teach our children considering these unique circumstances. I soon got back on board with what the teacher’s assignments were and emphasized to our kids that these were important parts of their education too.
I feel compelled to share this with you today because with our kids being back in school, in person, or remotely, I invite you to join me to...
pause. breathe. pray.
And whether you agree with what the specials teachers are doing or not, or whether it is a necessary part of our children’s learning, may we put ourselves in their shoes. These teachers are doing what they can with what they have to best show up for our kids in these unique circumstances. May we give thanks for these physical and creative outlets given to our kids during their day that help teach the whole child. And if we find ourselves thinking of these people or subjects as less than, consider if someone was to treat our own careers the way these teachers and fields are treated at times. Then may we choose to treat them the way we’d appreciate being treated as professionals and remind our kids of the teacher’s, and subjects, value.
With love and hope,
Shawn
“Treat others the way you want to be treated.” - Matthew 7:12