Hope amongst hardship: letters to those who continue to teach

As a former teacher and teacher educator, who currently works at the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board, education and educators are always on my mind. It feels like we are in the middle of a reckoning at the intersection of hope and hardship. Clearly, I am not the only one with these thoughts on my mind.

On Friday, January 28, recipients of our advancing equity grants gathered to discuss their projects. Instead of conducting business as usual, the group chose to spend some time thinking about teachers. What follows are the letters we wrote to those who continue to teach, to those who continue to serve with hope in the midst of hardship.

Dr. Erica Hernandez-Scott, PESB Interim Executive Director

Advancing equity grantees

To those who continue on, we thank you.

In these pandemic times, filled with masks, mandates, variants, and uncertainty — you persevere on.

These years will become core memories in our children’s lives.

You will be a core memory.

Your creativity, your leadership, your strength will not be forgotten.

The load you carry is unparalleled, and frankly isn’t being discussed enough.

Not only do you care for, and teach our children -

You also risk your health doing so in an evolving pandemic.

On top of the monumental responsibilities you have you continue on.

As a recent undergrad, an older sister to a current college student and a kindergarten student, I share my deepest gratitude to the educators of Washington State. Without you, our students would be lost. Our responsibilities as parents and guardians would be immensely greater. And the children of this generation would be at a great disadvantage. I want to share that I see you. Parents see you. The communities see you. PESB sees you. The children see you!

And we thank you!

Atela Tinnin (PESB staff)

Dear educators,

Thank you. Thank you for continuing in one of the most influential professions in a democratic, multicultural society. As the fabric of society has been stretched and frayed, your threads have held us together. I know that you care deeply about students and families. I also know that you need someone to care for you, too. You can’t pour from an empty cup, right?

I know the system that we are connected to can get in the way. I want you to know that I will do my part with those around me to transform it, to remake the educational landscape as it could be, not simply perpetuate it as it is. To do that, I know that I need to listen to you. I need to make space for others to hear from your story using your own words and voice. I also know that listening is not enough, we must take action, action that allows you to use your gifts in service of students and families.

There are a sea of people who think they understand what you do, but I know that you build nations. That’s a heavy lift, and I am ready to help. Although you can’t see me, I want to know that I am here rooting for you and looking for ways to remove the obstacles that are in your way. Hang in there!

We will look back at this chapter in history wondering how we made it through. In that chapter, we will see your face, your story, and know that it was because of you. Keep making your ancestors proud.

With love and admiration,

Dr. Erica Hernandez-Scott (PESB Interim Executive Director)

Dear teachers and future teachers,

You’re doing a good job. Seriously. YOU are doing a good job. Not even a good job, a meaningful, critical, essential soul-filling job. One of the most important ones ever. ESSENTIAL. Even though it might feel soul-crushing, or soul-sucking, exhausting, demanding, and never enough- we see you. And we are grateful. Every day, you impact students and families whether you feel it or not. And you might not feel that. With all the changes- virtual, hybrid, school, no school, mask, no not that mask, a new mask, 6 feet, but a kid wants a hug- ahhh, who can even keep their head-on and show up every day? But those students feel you and they appreciate how you are showing up for them during the hardest days. And it’s ok to feel burned out, tired, and close to tears. Your feelings are valid. Just like you hold space for your students' feelings- hold space for your own. I want to say “it will get better,” I keep thinking it will. But damn, who knew we’d be pushing for this long? Find a spark, a joy, a daily something, if you can, to keep holding on, knowing that better times are coming. The student who shines is still eager to see you each day, the one who shares deeply and is vulnerable, the one who is inspired by the opportunity to learn with you. Hold onto that. Even if it’s small it can still be meaningful. You are doing a good job. And we continue to thank you and see you.

Darin R Knapp (Central Washington University)

For the past year, we have been working on a project to build equity into our teaching and teacher-training.

We have had the honor of working with three indigenous teachers from three different cultures. In the process, we have felt their perspectives seep into our thinking in ways that have helped us to deal with the stresses of teaching in a pandemic, in a politically turbulent time — but also, to rethink our own role as educators.

One of the main lessons we have learned from these indigenous teachers — all of whom come from cultural communities who have faced unspeakable disruption and trauma for centuries — is the power of staying rooted in a larger perspective. They know and are teaching their children, “You are part of a network of people that long preceded you and will long survive you.” Perhaps as we navigate this extremely challenging moment in education and the larger society, we can follow the examples of these indigenous teachers. We can strive to pull our ancestors into the present moment. We can try to understand that “we are more than just ourselves.” The work of education is to leave something for the coming generations, for our children’s children’s children.

Our Western/U.S. culture can be so individualistic: it builds isolation and puts the responsibility on individual teachers for the failings of the system. YOU are letting down the kids. YOU are a hero for coming to work. YOU shouldn’t teach Critical Race Theory, etc. etc.

Perhaps, as educators, we can push back against such rampant individualism. Can we think generationally, and see what we are doing at this moment as building towards the future, but also connected to the past? Can we picture ourselves the direct result/product of ancestors who survived, of a planet that sustained us, of teachers who inspired us? Can we see the work that we do today, at this moment, like a ripple that moves forward — and backward — through time? That every day, every child we greet and teach and love, every time we put one foot in front of another and carry on, we are part of a much greater project?

Anny Case and James Hunter (Gonzaga University)

Dear teachers,

Wow, this has been quite the year. With health concerns changing the face of daily school operations, you have stuck to it and continued to teach and educate. Thank you. This has not been easy, but I want you to know that your work has been appreciated, respected, and much sought after. I am glad that you have stayed the course and kept going. Part of being present for students is about simply being present. And you have done that. You have stayed. Yes, there are now many jobs out there where you could make more money, yes there are many jobs out there that are less stressful, yes, there are many jobs that do not require the amount of dangerous human interaction, but as we know, education is built upon the foundation of human interaction and you have stayed the course.

Jim Gaffigan, in his recent comedy special, talked about how we are all teachers and then said: “Teachers, that was a poor career choice”, and queue the laughter. The world sees us doing our job and sees how difficult it is. They see the effort that we put into things does not equal the pay that we receive. Getting children to do work remotely on the same devices that use to play Minecraft, “yeah, like that was going to work” Jim said; and yet we made it work.

Your work has taken on adaptive qualities that are hard to believe looking back on them. As our health care responses to this pandemic get shaped on the political field, we have asked you to be politically neutral in working with our students and their families. Despite how the politicians interpreted the health care recommendations, we kept the lights on and complied. We are the silent majority that makes these systems work. They also see that life for everyone else, is based on our children being in school and that we play the central role in keeping society going, or that without children in school, without us doing our jobs, society does not return to normal. You have sacrificed much to help our students get what they need.

We have asked you to change and adapt to these new policies and to work within these changing standards. Despite the fact that you know what is best for students, we have not asked you as a teacher for input, instead, we have relied on your professionalism to work within limits that we have created for you and then have not responded promptly to you when those things needed to change. You have put students' needs ahead of your own.

Thank you for continuing to work in this ever-changing health field. Thank you for putting your efforts into helping our students. Thank you for making lives easier for all families across this country. May you continue to help our students through this time.

Bless you for your efforts;

Jacob Bang (Columbia Basin College)

A letter to educators:

Consider all that we are living through:

• The dual pandemics of COVID 19 and Anti-Black Racism
• Racial reckoning
• Climate catastrophes
• Divisive political discourse
• Death of loved ones, friends, and family
• Deficit narratives everywhere, of students and learning, of teachers and health care workers, of teacher abilities
• Economic disparities — the chasms are widening
• Struggles to attain basic needs of housing, food, health, access to the internet
• Mental health crises — lack of adequate recognition and available supports
• Insurrection

Given all of this, you keep showing up to be present for children and youth and continuously putting others before yourself. You are appreciated, and we admire your courage and strength.

We have seen your care in so many different ways:

• Checking-in with young people every day
• Focusing on relationships and care for the person in front of you at that moment
• Providing yourself with grace and knowing that you are doing the best that you can do
• Supporting colleagues by checking-in, listening, and offering and being a resource
• Affirming others
• Being present
• Remaining hopeful about the profession of teaching
• Remaining hopeful about the possibilities of children and youth to grow
• Appreciating that growth and achievement are different things, and celebrating growth in whatever ways it manifests
• In the face of fatigue, coming to school every day

With care and deep gratitude,

Amy Ryken (University of Puget Sound), Melvin Fields (Saint Martin’s University), and Terry Hickey (Saint Martin’s University)

Beloved teachers:

The world tells you “you don’t care about kids,” but the truth is the only reason you still show up is for your inspirational kids.

The world tells you “stop complaining,” but the truth is you’re using your voice to ensure justice in education for those furthest from it.

The world tells you “you’re not thinking about parents,” but the truth is you stand in partnership with families and communities.

The world tells you “if you don’t support in-person learning, then you are selfish,” but the truth is we are in a pandemic and what you are elevating is the need for safety and a healthy place to learn and teach.

The world tells you “do your job the way I want you to,” but the truth is you know your students’ brilliance and how to harness it in their learning.

The world tells you “I know what’s best in education,” but the truth is you are the one who is experienced, trained, knowledgeable and skilled.

The world tells you “you have to be a martyr to teach,” but the truth is educators are whole people who need resources and support in their professional work.

The world tells you “just teach the curriculum,” but you know your work is to co-create knowledge side-by-side with students to reimagine and build a better world.

But WE see you. We hear you. We support you. We stand with you.

In solidarity, light, and peace,

Charisse Cowan Pitre and Kerry Von Esch (Seattle University)

Dear teachers who continue to teach toward joy and justice…

We see you. We need you. We commit to stand with you, support you, and take direction from you as we continue to make this road by walking.

We also want you to know that we are doing our best to prepare new teachers to join you in this most important work. There is hope and strength and joy in our collective work. And because it is often difficult to see outside the four walls of our classrooms and schools, I wanted to share with you a few of the efforts I have seen over these last few weeks, as the Omicron and the white supremacist surge has once again left us yearning for the good news:

1. I was in a third-grade classroom yesterday in a rural district on the Olympic Peninsula and watched a teacher candidate share her passion for foraging, tracking, and identifying the natural world with students. As part of an interdisciplinary unit on biomes, she introduced academic language of “ecosystems,” “interrelation,” “biotic,” and “abiotic” elements. And she led the students in creating their own ecosystems using materials that she had foraged. She will continue this work by exploring how Western and indigenous knowledge systems understand living and non-living things, by partnering with an education liaison from the Squaxin Island tribe.

2. I met with a high school ELA teacher and teacher candidate in a rural district that has been targeted by white supremacists and anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups. They teach a “Banned Books” class where students are reading and discussing Alice Walker, Sherman Alexie, and Aldous Huxley.

3. I have seen students, teachers, and teacher candidates supporting, protecting, and building GSAs and identity-affirming spaces despite efforts to silence them.

4. I have seen students, teachers, and teacher candidates discussing, holding space, and supporting student walk-outs after the most recent anti-Black racism incidents in two nearby districts.

5. There is a Science Department in a local high school that is doing an action research project around building lesson elements and units that are explicitly and unapologetically anti-racist and abolitionist.

6. A group of teacher candidates organized a mutual aid society to organize N95 masks and rapid tests for their colleagues and paras and mentor teachers.

7. A group of teacher candidates organized a letter-writing campaign in opposition to the new anti-CRT Civics Bill before the Legislature.

8. I see and hear and talk about new partnerships, new solidarities, new visions and plans that include teachers within a broader social change ecosystem. We need each other. We need to find our people. We are the leaders we need; we teach and learn with the leaders we need.

With appreciation and in solidarity,

Michael Bowman (Evergreen State College)