Lower the bar. Nope. Lower.

    

High achievers, goal setters, perfectionists - you name it, my whole staff is full of them. And they are amazing. They believe in kids and don't allow kids to bring excuses to the table. Every day, they not only plan engaging lessons for our kids, but reject subpar work and insist on kids redoing their assignments until they have reached their potential. 

If my staff were a game.

And it's great. Until a pandemic.

I am absolutely positive there are at least a few all (?) of my staff who are so tired of hearing: "Stop. Lower the bar. Now think about where your bar is at. And lower it more."

PEOPLE! WE ARE LIVINGTEACHING THROUGH A PANDEMIC!

There is no rule book for this. There are no standards for this. This is Crisis City on fire right after a tornado. 

I often hear parents ask if their student will be retained or if they will fall below grade level. I say no to the retention and Idon'tevenknowanymore to the latter. What is grade level any more? With so many inequities for kids around technology, internet connectivity, support at home and demands placed on our families (I'll save that rant for later), it seems like it will take YEARS before we even know what should be expected of our kids. 

We are just trying to get by. And that's OK.

Teachers, please lower your bar of expectations from a 10 to an 8. Are your kids meeting you at an 8 through distance learning? No, you say? Great! Lower it to a 6. Then a 4. 2. Once your kids meet that bar at a 2, consider bumping it up to a 3, then 4. Are they showing up to Zoom with actual clothes on without wearing a blanket? Score. You're on your way!

We know you care. If you didn't care, it wouldn't drive you insane when a student submitted a blank Google doc. Again. Or if they refused to turn on their cameras. I get it. 

We really don't know what's going on behind the black Zoom screen (and maybe it's best if we don't in some cases). Let's applaud the kid for logging into Zoom. That would be an achievement for a 2! Next? Let's aim for turning on their mic to answer a question! 3!? Score! 

Celebrate the small wins. 

Letting go of high expectations for our kids right now does not speak to your commitment as an educator or professional. It does not mean you don't care and that you are just phoning it in for your kids. 

It's recognizing the reality we are in. It's understanding that ALL of us are just trying to get by one day at a time. And that's OK. Understanding the need to take care of our collective mental health as priority sends the message that you care deeply for our kids, families, and YOURSELF!

We are going to get through this and it will end. Once we have our kids back full time, we can control the parameters of their learning environment much more than we can now (welcome back, Type As!)

Will some of our kids struggle with reading? Yep. Will some be missing foundational skills they need to move forward? Absolutely. But, we got this. Educators are amazing. We are strong and love a good challenge. Tell us we can't do something and then sit back and watch. 

And knowing that my team is filled with high achievers, goal setters and perfectionists, I am confident that the kids will be alright.