Educators are known for their adaptability and resourcefulness, yet the current crisis presents a daunting challenge! Will we be able to maintain positive attitudes and flexible mindsets? Will our families and students work together with us knowing that the entire world is adjusting to a new reality? Will we adequately meet needs of students while also supporting teachers who may have children and family members at home to care for in addition to making this abrupt shift to a new way of teaching?
Last Monday, I joined a virtual Dolores leadership meeting led by Superintendent Lis Richard for department directors and principals to collaboratively tackle the instructional shift. The planning session was upbeat, well-orchestrated and professional, but what struck me most was that compassion for families and school personnel was (and is) the obvious driver behind the process, with priority given to the health and well-being of students, families and school personnel.
I’m incredibly grateful to serve this district and the Dolores community as a whole. There is no doubt that what’s in store will be emotionally taxing and that the foreseeable future holds many unknowns. The school year will not unfold as planned; our guiding document (the strategic plan) will be adapted and amended; our expectations will remain high while the learning curve for achieving them will be steep. Still, opportunities to learn lessons about community, family, civic responsibility, public health and social health are invaluable. At this time, and always, modeling resilience may possibly be the single most impactful gift we can bestow on the children we serve – along with compassion, of course!
As a proponent for collective intelligence, I know in my heart of hearts that we are never as successful alone as we are together. But there’s more. In times of crisis, we are never as resilient alone as we are together. Collective resilience will be key at this time, not only for our local community but for our global community. I thank the Dolores community members for their patience and willingness to adapt.
Kay PhelpsDolores