It has been said that if you really want to know what a person is going through, then walk a mile in their shoes. Over the past two years I have observed what I call a "shift" in how teachers were initially viewed when the pandemic first started and how they are often seen some 2 years later. So, I asked my friend Judith McCray, if she would be willing to sit down with me to discuss some of the challenges and concerns that she and her colleagues have had to face during a pandemic and how can we as a community go from criticizing to helping.
Judith was able to provide an insider's perspective of what it has been like for her as educator to teach during a pandemic along with the concerns and challenges that she and her colleagues had to face and overcome. And, although this has been a difficult period for her like most of us, giving up wasn't an option. During our conversation, she shared what she has done for self-care during COVID-19, how her faith has helped her, and how her love for writing inspired her to begin a blog, Coffee Reflections which is now a Podcast on several hosting platforms.
Throughout the conversation, Judith shared somethings we can all consider:
· Teachers like everyone else had to consider not only their safety but also that of their families
· Teachers are humans
· Giving up wasn’t an option
· Teaching is a calling
· Teachers would like to occasionally hear thank you.
It is my hope that you the listener will be inspired by the tenacity and dedication of our educators. And, we will all begin to look for ways to say thank you!
Coffee Reflections can be found online at www.coffeereflections.com or you can listen at it on Google Podcasts or Spotify.
