Posted: December 13, 2020
I had a chance to listen to one of our students, Isaac Leybovich, a sixth grader at CCA, present about ideas for improving online school. You can check out some of Isaac’s ideas HERE. I was so appreciative of him and how he’s thinking forward. It made me think about our current situation and the power of thinking ahead.
Some of you might know that I like to push my son Micah in marathons. It’s an activity we love to do together. Marathoning has taught me a lot about life. When you hit miles 15-20, ugh, it’s tough. We’re in miles 15-20 right now of this journey through a pandemic. There is good news ahead as we learn more about the virus and the possibility of a vaccine, but we’re still out on the course with no finish line in sight. I’ve found during these marathons and especially miles 15-20, my brain starts to do a number on me. I wonder why the heck I thought a marathon was a good idea. I think about quitting. I can feel how tired I am and my muscles and joints hurt.
To get through it I have to shift my brain to think about the future and not the moment. It doesn’t do me any good to dwell on the moment. I’m out on the course. I’ve got to keep moving. I start thinking about the next marathon and how I hopefully will train a little better or eat a little healthier or Micah and I talk about a new adventure we’d like to have. This shift doesn’t take away the need to keep picking up and putting down my feet, but it does give my brain relief to think about new challenges or opportunities, and sometimes that can make all the difference.
I don’t want to minimize the picking up and putting down of our feet each day to best support our students. It requires our attention. We also know that at some point we will be through this pandemic. There is a finish line ahead even though we can’t see it. We’ve got to keep moving and part of that is thinking ahead to what school can be like based on all that we’ve learned these past 9 months. It’s actually pretty exciting to consider how much we have learned and how that can impact the way we serve students and families in the future. In my conversations with you, I know you’re thinking ahead too. Following Isaac’s lead, I wanted to share a recent article a teacher shared with me about what we’ve learned. It’s food for thought and just might help us run miles 15-20 while building something incredible for our future. Have a great week everyone and a wonderful holiday season!
Jeff
Education’s Golden Ticket: Lessons Learned From COVID-19
