Turn on the news and chaos seems to be everywhere, with protests, riots, COVID-19 milestones all vying for center stage. As learning centers try to resume the teaching-learning process, teachers are also taking center stage. These are some difficult times for educations, and there are no easy solutions. However, there are two guiding lights that can help school educators during COVID-19 to navigate these uncharted waters.
Navigating these uncharted waters reminds me of an experience I had years ago as an undergraduate student at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Like many international students, I was gifted with two wonderful people who became my host-parents—my guiding lights in a strange land. They lived on a ranch in a rural area of the province and I would spend every other weekend with them. One weekend, I decided to take the bus to their home nestled in the woods, about eight miles from the university. The four o’clock bus was the last one that winter afternoon; so, by the time I got to my stop, dark had fallen. I then had to walk for about five minutes along an unlit, rural dirt road to my host-parents’ house. This walk was the longest and scariest walk ever in my life for two reasons: This was a time before cell phones and I had no communication and no streetlights to guide me as I walked.
My host-parents knew I was coming, but they had gone to an event that night and had left the door unlocked for me, as usual. Though it was a relatively safe area, nothing comforted my mind. The darkness was so thick. Not even the moon was shining. All I could hear as I walked was the snow crunching under my boots. I could not see, but I knew that if I had to continue walking the path. It was the strangest feeling ever. In the daylight, I had walked this road, but that night it felt like a road I had never walked before. Finally, I saw a light from a neighbor’s house and walked in the direction of that light.
These challenging events we are facing may make us feel as if we’re walking a road in pitch darkness. Scary, yes. Though we have smartphones and other modes of communication, we struggle to hear, listen, and understand. But my walk that night taught me two things:
- We’ve walked this road before. Perhaps, not in my lifetime or your lifetime, but those who have come before us have trod this road. There have been pandemics in history, such as the Spanish flu (1918-20) and the H1N1 swine flu pandemic (2009-10), and humanity has weathered them. As human beings, resiliency is built within us.
- Walking in the dark is a walk of faith. Having a routine, a system in place, or knowing how something works gives many of us comfort. But most important, routine provides order. But there will be times in life, we will have to travel a familiar road under uncertain or new conditions and we will have to continue to walk until we see the light.
How do we do that?
Believe
Believe that the outcome will be good. As a drama teacher, I taught the creative process. The creative process looks chaotic; it doesn’t make sense as you work through it. But you learn to trust that the outcome will lead to an end that is good. That end will also have valuable lessons to be learned.
Listen
In this process, it is extremely important to listen in order to know how to respond. Everybody has an opinion, and they want to be heard.
Breathe
In listening, don’t forget to breathe deeply. You cannot control other people’s behavior, but you can control how you respond to it. Without the control of your breath, you may find yourself reacting rather than consciously responding. Pause, then speak.
Adjust
Allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Uncomfortable? Yes, it is. We all want this to be over so we can return to a so-called normal life. But help your body by allowing it to recalibrate. Find quiet moments within the day for it to simply “be.”
Stay Positive
Positivity is a healthier and better companion than negativity. Know the facts. Don’t ignore the facts. But look for the light. It may be just a glimmer, and that is all that is needed to point you in the right direction.
Whether it’s brick and mortar or virtual learning you are returning to, you have what it takes to walk this road. Look for the light.
