Letter To The Editor: A Point Of View Worth Recognizing
Dear Los Alamos Community,
During his recent weekly pandemic podcast, Dr. Michael Osterholm ended his commentary by reading this excellent letter from Dr. Teresa Thayer Snyder, a highly respected, retired superintendent from upstate New York.
As a long time Los Alamos resident, teacher and New Mexico State Teacher of the Year, I felt incredibly inspired and touched by Dr. Snyder’s perspective about schools recovering from the pandemic. Yes, we need to listen to our children and to allow their stories to be heard, as the children return to formal education.
‘Maslow before Bloom’ for teachers and their learners
17 Feb 2021
Teachers at the University of Johannesburg Metropolitan Academy found a different, warmer way of catching up on learning losses caused by Covid. (Madelene Cronjé)
Despite the delay in the start to the school year, the principal of the University of Johannesburg Metropolitan Academy, Rehana Jardine, wanted to begin with the most important thing that needed addressing the expected trepidations, fear and anxieties of her teachers as they embarked on an uncertain year ahead. As the second and a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic amplifies fears that accrued learning losses could be exacerbated among learners, Jardine and I created a play-based session to provide a safe space for acknowledging emotional and well-being concerns that her teachers had for themselves and for the learners in their care.
Teresa Thayer Snyder, former superintendent of schools in Voorheesville, NY says kids can't just go back to "normal" learning after the pandemic, and previous standards and benchmarks should change.
Image zoom Credit: Getty Images
If you re the parent of a school-aged child, you re almost certainly worried about how the pandemic will affect your kids in just about every way socially, mentally, emotionally and, let s not forget, academically. With everything going on in the world, it s natural to stress about how this year of social distancing, mask-wearing, and virtual learning may deter your child s progress in school. But, according to one teacher, you should stop worrying about them catching up .
The post comes from Teresa Thayer Snyder, a retired educator and grandmother, who felt compelled to address the mindset of wanting our kids to catch up that many parents are carrying right now.
Educator pleads to let go of catching up at school in viral post
ABCNews After months of remote, hybrid and distance learning, parents are justifiably concerned about their children s educations. But one life-long educator thinks catching up is an idea that should be reconsidered.
In a Facebook post that s been shared thousands of times, Teresa Thayer Snyder wrote, After a lifetime of working among the young, I feel compelled to address the concerns that are being expressed by so many of my peers about the deficits the children will demonstrate when they finally return to school. My goodness, what a disconcerting thing to be concerned about in the face of a pandemic which is affecting millions of people around the country and the world.