My first day as a teacher took place fifty-one years ago. My first as an elementary school principal was forty-three, and I started my superintendent gig twenty-nine years ago. All were memorable, but I expect none will be as memorable as the first day of school for students this year.
My first day of teaching I met a pretty blonde starting her first day as well. Two years later I married her. On my first day as an elementary school principal I experienced the first of several crying students who, like me, were apprehensive about being in their new school. And my first day as a superintendent was filled with meeting new people who would help me reshape a district. On each of those first days, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
I recall asking each of my geography classes a simple question on our opening day. “Have any of you ever been to a foreign country?” A pretty young twelve year old raised her hand, and I asked where she had been. She replied, “Kentucky.” I could see we had a lot of work ahead of us.
During my opening day as a principal I outlined a few goals I hoped would serve our new school well. “Since we have been banded together from three different staffs, I think it would be nice to have an open house so our parents can meet us.” One of the vocal veterans spoke up, “That’s not in our contract.” I responded just as quickly, “I have no intention of violating anyone’s contract.” Game on.
During my first meeting as a superintendent with my new office staff I offered up, “I don’t file. I’ll count on you to find a place for everything. I’ll tell you what I expect I’ll need. You need to be able to locate things for me.” While I never understood the established system, Eileen made it work.
Today’s students will be challenged like no others in recent memory. We’ve had villains before, but none were invisible. The coronavirus is. In many districts parents have been given a choice regarding the next steps for their children. Some are opting for on-line learning, others for face to face, and still others, like my two grandchildren, will experience a blended model. No one method is correct for everyone, so we must trust people to make difficult choices during a difficult time.
Educators are rewriting their operation manuals. Some have offered up an analogy, “We’re building the plane as we fly it.” I overheard two mothers speaking of their children’s first day. “They (school officials) are taking this mask thing seriously. The first time you don’t wear your mask you get a detention. The second time you’re sent home, and the third time you can’t return to school at all.”
I watched a You-Tube video designed for parents of our local district. Students in each grade will enter through designated doors – Kindergarten, first grade, second grade etc. No parents will be allowed to enter the building. Final good-bye kisses and hugs will have to take place before entering the building. Trust me, there will be crying, but crying would occur with or without the virus.
One neighboring district has installed cameras in each of its elementary school classrooms. Parents who opt to have their children stay home will be able to “tune-in” to watch school as it unfolds and follow along accordingly.
Social distancing is being aided with homemade dividers made of clear shower curtains or plexiglass. Hoops on the floor help kids space themselves, and some districts are bringing back the pre-school model of knots in a rope to provide six feet of spacing while standing or traveling in lines. School staffs have devised new methods, and reinvented the old tried and true, all in the name of hygiene and safety.
Most schools are providing breakfast and lunch within each classroom. They’ve established protocols to insure that students remain within their own team or pod. Temperatures are taken on a regular basis and, should someone become infected with the dreaded virus, procedures have already been developed to help stop the spread.
Staff members have been given directives to self monitor their health. Increased temperatures, or suspected exposure to the virus, require individuals to self quarantine.
The current system relies upon each participant to do the right things. Stay six feet apart whenever possible, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and stay home if you feel ill. It’s not the first time we’ve been asked to follow rules, but it may be the most intimidating. I don’t envy those in charge of making today’s decisions, and I’m happy that most of my first days dealing with such challenges are in my past.