WARNING: Strong opinion ahead

February 8th, 2021, is worthy of note for a lot of reasons, but locally it signifies the return to class for much of Simcoe County's school-aged children after a lengthy bout of on-line learning during the Ford government's Stay-At-Home order. That's not news to anyone that has paid attention to the comings and goings of this area during this continuing pandemic-charged, monkey-wrench-in-the-gears time we are all grappling with. What is it news that #fordnation has decided to add to the already lengthy list of teacher expectations by imposing a Hybrid Learning model.

Here's the thing ... Ford and Lecce have decreed that the educators of Ontario be sent back into classrooms that still have the same health and safety issues they had in the fall, while at the same time preaching a stay-at-home order for all other facets of life. If the "experts" feel that it is necessary to impose restrictions on the general population in an effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19, why are those same "experts" putting students and educators at risk by herding them into overcrowded buses and classrooms?

If that was not enough to deal with, educators continue to be slagged in social media, chat rooms and mainstream media despite shouldering the gargantuan task of adapting to the roller coaster ride of expectations thanks to a myopic effort on the part of the present PC government at handling the fallout from the continued spread of Covid-19 and its variants. In this day and age of increased awareness surrounding bullying and mental health, why is it considered acceptable by a significant proportion of society to insult, ridicule, and defame educators? When did those people lose all respect for the profession?

So many of the keyboard warrior's comments reveal their ignorance surrounding what educating is really about, begging the question, "What is it that you expect from your child's educator?" At the risk of repeating comments I've made before in posts, I don't openly criticize doctors, dentists, tradespeople or the like for their performance because I have never "walked a mile in their shoes" and have no discernible benchmark from which to comment. Sitting in the doctor's office does not mean I understand the ramifications of procedures and medications. Lying in the dentist's chair does not mean I understand the scope of the task. Watching the tradesperson build, install, or repair my whatever does not mean I am capable of stepping in and doing the job myself. I continue to be astounded that a significant portion of society feels they know all that is needed to attack educators simply because they were students once.

Why, then, do so many openly criticize educator's concerns about their student's performances, the desire to have a safe workplace, the confusion about ever-changing modalities, the ever-expanding expectations for students in their care? 

I've tried hard to stay in the background ...
To support without rocking the boat ...
To be there for my friends who are neck-deep in the dung of mismanaged, misguided, and misinformation-charged efforts by the people we elected to run things at Queen's Park.

This diatribe is the result of not being able to keep my "mouth" shut anymore and I'm taking to my own keyboard in an effort to (a) make sense of what's happening and (b) try to turn on a light for those that still seem to be happy to feed at the trough of ignorance regarding all things education. 

My recently retired colleague and good friend Kelly Faye recently posted the quote at the top left of this post. It immediately struck deep like a great truth had finally dawned after much meditative introspection about the metamorphosis the role of the educator has undergone over the time that I have chosen to be involved. Gone are the days when the primary expectation of educators was to educate, being replaced with completely unrealistic expectations alluded to in the quote, an abdication of responsibility by a noticeable portion of today's parents. The wisdom of the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child!" is built upon the foundation of collegiality, cooperation, and compassion practiced by all involved in that child's life as a group effort, where mutual respect and appreciation are the keystones of all interaction.

If all of this was not enough to prompt a pause, a contemplative revisiting of inclination, a re-examination of faulty logic, add into the mix that local educators are being asked to adapt to the imposition of Hybrid Learning when they return to in-person learning. In the event that you don't truly understand what the terminology means, Hybrid Learning is an educational model where some students attend class in-person, while others join the class virtually from home. Educators teach remote and in-person students at the same time using tools like video conferencing hardware and software. (Reference) Some of the lessons taught are synchronous (teacher led lessons for in-person learning in the classroom streamed live for students in on-line learning), while some are asynchronous (an on-line collection of assignments, videos and cyber resources for independent student-centered inquiry). 

Like my arguments above, those not actively involved in educating truly have little understanding of the ramifications a Hybrid Learning model on the day to day management of a classroom. Just like dentistry is more than drilling and cementing, hybrid teaching is more than simply turning on the webcam for students to follow along at home. The elephant in the room is lack of stability in the school's present network infrastructure, creating significant issues in live-streaming lessons. Additionally, the lack of inservice on installing, managing and troubleshooting equipment and software that make live-streaming possible leads to elevated stress and anxiety for educators and students alike. Lastly, opening our children's classrooms to the entire world for all manner of prying eyes increases the potential for inappropriate ramifications.

I've talked to some of my former colleagues. While they are thrilled to be back in the classroom, exercising their calling for education, they are justifiably concerned about the potential pitfalls of the Hybrid Learning model. While not readily apparent to those inexperienced in the classroom, teaching in-person students requires a profoundly different technique than on-line students. Engagement in the process is key, and experienced, passionate teachers excel at engaging learners, even when they initially resist. Engaging on-line students is much more challenging, requiring more sustained focus on the individual. The streamed lesson, thanks largely to the limited resources available, will be via a single static camera positioned to see the teaching tools being utilized. An experienced educator doesn't employ the "Sage on the Stage" technique that so many may remember, opting to circulate amongst the students, figuratively prodding the less involved into higher degrees of attentiveness. This movement in and out of the webcam's view will cause major issues for the on-line students, and IMHO, lead to decreased engagement.

Educators are not asking detractors to love everything they do. They are not asking that banners be raised in their honour. They are not asking to work less days or hours. 

They are simply asking for two vital concessions:

(1) that they be offered a chance for meaningful input when major changes are deemed necessary ... they are on the "front lines" after all, and (2) that their efforts to adapt to the changing landscape of education be appreciated. 

Educators are far from perfect ... They'll readily admit to that. What they have in abundance is passion, dedication, and a love of learning. After having spent more than 30 years in classrooms, I can confidently state that the overwhelming majority of educators felt a calling to the classroom, and are doing the best they are capable to help your children learn. 

A simple thank you very much is the least we can give them.