It's not all loss...

I have spent a lot of time thinking about loss this year. I have watched parents and loved ones pile loss onto loss until you can’t even see the person behind the pile any longer. That has been our burden to bear during this time. Nothing can remain unchanged or untouched by this virus, and we have all had to adapt to survive. Such is life.

I find a little comfort in knowing that each generation overcomes trials like these, and even more comfort in knowing that another pandemic is unlikely to occur again in my lifetime. But I take the most comfort in my days here at school watching the teachers and children. I worked at a Montessori preschool on September 11 and I knew that day I would always work in preschools. As the adult world fell apart around us that day, the children played and the teachers created a safe space for them to be children. It was an oasis in a desert. I find great comfort when times are troubled that children remain the same: resilient, joyful, funny, and learning. Little sponges not yet attached to experiences, adaptable and looking to us to help determine what is “normal”, what is “okay”.

I want to take a moment to share some things I have spied during these months of in-person preschool during a pandemic that I offer as silver linings.

• These children don’t mind the masks. This will actually be a useful life skill for them.

• They are amazing at communicating with their eyes and at reading emotions through the mask. This group of kiddos is going to be very adept at non-verbal communication. I had one of our older classrooms showing me facial expressions the other day (in masks, of course) and you would not believe how good they are at communicating their feelings through eye contact. In a world full of screens that keep us separated from really seeing each other, this is an incredible skill that I am grateful these children will have.

• They are more adaptable. While I saw some typical separation anxiety at the start of the year, (even for some 3-year-old after having been away from school so many months), once in school, these children are seem more flexible. They seem to have a deep understanding of “things change” that generations before maybe lacked. I hope this stays with them moving forward.

• While it feels like our adult worlds have become incredibly complicated, their worlds have become simpler. Fewer people outside of their family, fewer commitments, fewer structured activities. The holidays are less chaotic. The children seem happier. I hope we don’t immediately go back to a full-throttle schedule for these preschoolers and we try to keep some of this simplicity for them.

• And finally, maybe a silver lining for the field of education: This has exposed some terrible fractures that I hope proves to be a catalyst in education reform. A reminder to adults that protecting and serving these children is our mission and thoughts and concern for their healthy growth and development should not be outweighed by adult politics, posturing, or priorities. Children’s behaviors tell us what they need, and it is time we start looking to them again for guidance on how best to serve them and help them grow. I hope the field of education will spend time on self-reflection once we are on the other side.

I know there are many children not in in-person schooling right now, and I can not speak to how these silver linings may apply to them. I know they don’t apply to many, many children right now (even my own teenagers, that have been online only since March). But for our Metropolitan children, this time has not been all losses. For that, I am incredibly grateful.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy New Year!

-Kristen

What now for education?

This recent article in The Atlantic by Erika Christakis discusses some interesting research and surveys that highlight how the pandemic may contribute to a needed discussion about education and the need to improve schools for all children. One of my biggest concerns through this pandemic has been a shift away from the idea that in-person teaching is essential for our children. I agree with this opinion piece from the New York Times: keep schools open, shut everything else down. If we had kept the high risk activities closed (indoor dining, gyms, bars) and mandated masks everywhere, we could have kept infection rates low enough to keep schools safe for teachers and students. My heart breaks at the failing of our nation and the tremendous loss of life, financial stability, and educational security that has come with COVID-19.

Abiding by the maxim that “education is essential for all children” is a hallmark of a well-functioning, healthy society. We forget the times and places when school for all children was not a given. Throughout history, teachers and students have been willing to risk their lives because they believed in the importance of education: when Ruby Bridges desegregated New Orleans schools, when Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai resisted Taliban oppression to fight for the right for all girls to go to school, when teachers and students return to school after school shootings , and each flu season. Schools have never been zero risk but, as a society, I thought we had come to a place where we agreed that educating ALL students was worth some risk.

Clearly, we should minimize our risk as much as possible without sacrificing our children’s social, emotional, and educational well-being. Technology permits some learning to occur remotely. Students and teachers at high-risk for complications from COVID-19 infection should be able to teach and learn from home when infection rates are too high to make in-person learning safe for them. And, if the infection rates are too high in an area to make in-person learning safe for anyone, we should be able to ensure all children have access to the technology and infrastructure necessary to make online learning possible—FOR A SHORT TIME. As this Alec MacGillis ProPublica story highlights, there are substantial educational and emotional risks to prolonged online learning, particularly for our most vulnerable students.

I will repeat what I have been screaming into a void since April: OUR ACTIONS NOW TEACH OUR CHILDREN WHAT WE VALUE. CLOSE BARS, GYMS, AND INDOOR DINING SO SCHOOLS CAN BE SAFE TO REOPEN AND STAY OPEN. No amount of mitigation (air purification, outdoor learning, small pod sizes) is as effective as simply keeping our infection rates under control. I weep for a society where rampant individualism and one person’s right to have a drink in a crowded, indoor space outweighs society’s need to educate our children. COVID-19 is a greater health risk to adults than children, but it may end up causing greater long-term harm to children, due to the manner in which we have “managed” this pandemic.  If it is safe to allow adults to congregate indoors then we shouldn’t be forcing children, those least at risk for complications from this illness, to suffer the greater consequences and loss. If it’s not safe to open schools for children, then it’s not safe to open these other things for adults. YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

I shouldn’t need to explain how important in-person school is for children, especially young children. But a quick google search can get you a large amount of peer-reviewed research on the topic. This debate was settled decades ago, I thought, and an abundant amount of research supports the importance of a good education system for a well-functioning society. We shouldn’t have to say this. I chose teaching and the development of young children because it was a mission I believed in. Something so important that I knew being a part of it would be meaningful and fulfilling. It’s time we refocus our society actions and behaviors to match our beliefs about what is important. Our children’s well-being is paramount. It’s time adults start acting like adults by instilling our values through modeling better behavior and placing the interests of children over those of adults. A good education IS worth dying for, but if we could just make smarter, less selfish decisions, it shouldn't have to come to that.

Sharing is Caring: Revisiting an older post during this time of Thanks and giving.

The most important life skills are taught to us before we are 5 years-old. Check out this article by Claire Cain Miller highlighting research that shows those of us that learned to share, negotiate, and play nicely on the playground are in higher demand in the workforce today. Particularly during this time when many schools remain closed, it is a gift for our youngest learners to have time learning in-person in a group setting.

Here is another link to another post about sharing. During this upcoming time of Thanks and giving, it is a good reminder to be grateful for what we have and to share our bounty with other. As a bonus, if you haven’t ever heard Jack Johnson’s children’s music (it was my soundtrack in 2007 or so) here’s a good song on sharing!