So it’s Teacher Appreciation Week this week. Of course, it’s also Nurses Appreciation Week as well. Can you tell where this is going?
This is the week where we “appreciate” teachers for doing what we do. This week, at my school, we had lunch supplied by our PTSA. Monday was spaghetti, Tuesday was fried chicken, and yesterday was a taco truck for us. If you go to any teacher group on Facebook, there are lots of stories about how administration “appreciates” teachers. Usually with superficial gestures and the occasional free meal, but nothing worthwhile. Because why give extra benefits, or pay raises, or other such tangible means of expressing appreciation when you can give them a free meal or “flood their inboxes with good messages”? And think of this—as I mentioned, it’s also Nurses Appreciation Week as well. Nurses Week culminates on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s Birthday. Teacher Appreciation Week is the first full week of May. Is it a coincidence that so often those two celebrations overlap? That’s an argument for another diary. For now, join me over the fold for something CONCRETE that is being negotiated in my district for this year, at least.
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I found out this week that my union and the district administration are in negotiations for a “COVID Stipend” to reward teachers for their efforts in 2020 and 2021 in dealing with all the stuff we’ve had to deal with. We’ve had to completely reinvent teaching to make virtual learning meaningful and growth oriented. Even now, as we have kids back in the building, the majority (about 73%) of students are still virtual so we have to teach to kids both in the room and on Google Meet at the same time. So we’re still having to reinvent teaching as we go. AND keep our kids still learning. As Diane Ravitch says,“WHAT ‘learning loss?’”
As one commenter on that article says,
The people who are saying there is a “learning loss” are the same ones who have said that schools need to “reopen.” Schools have been open this whole time. They were “open” last spring when the pandemic started and they are “open” now.
Teachers are teaching and have been this whole time.
And yet schools are doing things to combat this “learning loss”. There is standardized testing this year, a flat out broken promise that President Biden LIED to us about. My kids are so DONE with this school year, and to be honest, so am I. Kids that I have spend years building relationships with are just SO disconnected from everything. Kids weren’t “homeschooled” this past year, they had TEACHERS teaching them. All those parents whining about on line learning are learning EXACTLY how little they actually parent their kids. We are NOT parents to these kids. During these times it’s the PARENTS who are responsible for making sure their kids are on the Meet and are doing their assignments. And these parents are finding out how they have failed their children and are trying to blame it on teachers.
But I need to stop ranting now before I go WAY too far.
I am glad that my district is even thinking about rewarding us with a tangible acknowledgement of what we’ve been put through this past year or so. And I hope the union is able to give us a nice four figure check soon. Because even though I make close to my age (54), I still live paycheck to paycheck. But that’s also another diary.
So, on to Tops!
TOP COMMENTS
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From List maker NOT List taker:
FarWestGirl gives a great description of the vaccine delivery (non scientific but easily understood). From the recommended post on vaccine side effects by A Pagan in Arizona.
Highlighted by sfinx:
This comment by shigeru in novapsyche’s post on mass psychosis of the GOP.
Highlighted by Observerinvancouver:
This comment by CathyM in nailkeg’s recommended post on cover crops.
Top Mojo for yesterday, May 8, 2021, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
