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March 2020: An Unexpected Opportunity to Show Our Readiness
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Preparing every student, in every school, and in every classroom to be… |
Opportunity Ready |
March 2020 |
An Unexpected “Opportunity” to Show Our Readiness Our primary responsibility as educators is to prepare students for life. We often talk about the opportunities that students encounter and will encounter later in life, and that students have to have developed certain skills to take full advantage of those opportunities. The idea is that if students can demonstrate success skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and citizenship; they can apply those skills in a variety of familiar as well as new situations that will help them get ahead and accomplish what needs to be done. Content knowledge is important too, but many employers tell us that they can teach new employees the specifics of what the employee needs to know and do on a job. It is often difficult, though, to teach employees such things as how to get along with others, how to problem solve, how to work as a team, how to be dependable, how to think outside the box, or how to speak or write clearly. One of the most useful skills or qualities that we also seek to develop in students is resilience. Life is full of opportunities, but it is also full of challenges and obstacles to be overcome. These require resilience; the determination to get back up when we get knocked down and to overcome our fears. The coronavirus pandemic continues to test every ounce of our resolve. We can be flexible, but sometimes the challenges are so fierce and it seems we may break. This afternoon, the governor delivered the news that many of us thought may eventually come, but it was hard to hear nonetheless: Virginia schools will remain closed at least for the remainder of this academic year. This is a tough blow; especially for those of us with seniors who had already bought prom dresses, had gotten a brand new pair of cleats for spring soccer season, and were looking forward to walking across a stage to receive a well-earned diploma. We will, however, not break. We may bend, but we will not break. We refuse to break. We will find a path ahead, and we will make it through. We are resilient. Knowledge and clarity are two keys to forging ahead. There are some things we know. There are other things we do not yet know, but we will get answers to our questions. What do we know?
What do we not know?
These are among the questions facing every school district in Virginia, and we will collaborate with districts in our region to find solutions as well as rely on forthcoming guidance from the VDOE. We will communicate the answers to these questions as we have them. Thank you for what you are doing. It is an honor to serve with you. We are ready to do this.
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