letter to the editor

Teachers and the pandemic

Mon, 12/14/2020 - 3:15pm

Dear Editor:

In this pandemic, I realize that a lot of people are without a job and struggling. I have really come to recognize all of the hardworking people in this community, putting themselves and loved ones at risk to do “front-line” jobs. While attending school these last three months, I have started to understand the real sacrifice of a teacher, more so now, during this pandemic.

Most of you will say a teacher is an educator, someone who teaches, and on the outside looking in, that’s accurate, but in reality teachers are much more. Teachers hear the comments, “it must be nice having summers off,” “I wish I had teachers’ hours,” and “being a teacher seems like a sweet gig,” but in reality, none of that is true.

Although seven hours is the contracted workday, teachers choose to put in significant amounts of extra hours so that we students can be successful; a lot of them find themselves grading papers and revising lesson plans on their own time, after school, and on weekends, providing kids with extra help before or after school, and coaching or advising clubs. Along with working extra hours, teachers are putting us first during this pandemic.

Teachers are not only juggling virtual “live streaming” and in-school education, they are now exposed to a lot of kids every day putting not only their health, but their loved ones’ health, at risk. When speaking about the teachers in this community, anyone can tell they truly care for us.

I frequently attend one-on-one SAT prep with Mr. Brewer, a math teacher, to receive help in a topic I'm not necessarily good at. I’m not in his class, and he wasn’t hired as a tutor, but he uses his prep time in the morning --- that he could be using to catch up with work in his own classes --- to help me out of the kindness of his heart. Just one of the many examples of teachers being selfless.

Being a teacher is more than just teaching. Being a teacher is a calling; being a teacher is a sacrifice.

Remember to thank our educators and others for putting themselves at risk for the betterment of our community.

Ava Schlosser

junior at Boothbay Region High School