A little after noon, I unexpectedly found myself guiding a team of adults to stuff over four hundred folders with work we had planned, drafted, printed, and copied all in the last three days.
The adults gathered had been unexpectedly plucked from their regular work to help, no questions asked, yet so many questions hung in the air.
Our conference room quickly became a factory that spilled out into the hall as people worked together to get this work done in record time. What had once felt surreal was now imminent.
When I left the conference room to check on some last minute copies being made, I expected the frenzied feeling to have trickled out to the rest of the building as news of an indefinite closure spread.
But I quickly realized that the frenzy was contained and the rest of the school appeared to be operating mostly business as usual.
As I passed by a few first grade classrooms, I looked in to see one class working on telling time and another teacher doing a read aloud. Upstairs, in fourth grade, kids were gathered on the rug, talking about things they could do while home and a fifth grade class seemed to be working in partnerships on a project.
I work with rock stars, I thought to myself.
As the world seems to be unraveling, our teachers and staff remained calm so that our kids could remain calm.
This whole crazy experience has left me feeling so proud of our school community. The indefinite closure has me feeling sad, but hopeful for all the ways our community will band together in these uncertain times.
Where There's Joy 
I am waiting for closure to hit our school. In the meantime, it is business as usual. Teachers don’t flinch in crazy. This is a beautiful commitment to what matters.
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What a gift to your community, your preparedness. It’s difficult to remain calm during this uncertainty. Our moments with the students seem even more precious. Our district has made no preparations.
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You captured it as it was. “Our conference room became a factory” – that’s exactly what it was. No room for chit chat, just get it done. We held onto all our own questions, like you said, and did what we did for kids. I saw the same calm in all the rooms as I made deliveries. Thanks for capturing this moment.
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Yes … we have an opportunity to show, truly model, to students what it means to be resilient and our best selves. I hope we all rise to the occasion.
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You know I had to read this slice when I saw the title. Teachers ARE rock stars who are ready every day to be there for students. We learn best when we learn together. I love the snapshot in this slice.
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It was great to read this, since all we saw from the classroom side was a pile of folders arriving with a smile. We could only imagine the “factory.” I will say, it wasn’t all business as usual in the classrooms. It’s not every day you have to tell kids to pack all of their notebooks and clean out their lockers. It was really interesting to see the different ways that kids processed. Not to overgeneralize, but there were gender differences. Several of the boys seemed to literally spin in circles as they worked through whether to be happy or scared. While quite a few girls just hugged, realizing they might not see each other for a while. Definitely a surreal scene.
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So many perspectives. It felt calm with an undercurrent of nerves for sure.
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Rock stars for sure!
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Thanks for sharing this. My biggest worry yesterday was not getting everything ready, but the kids and what they were thinking and feeling. Now we just hope for the best.
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I think because teachers stand on ever-shifting sand every day, we are able to just keep going business-as-usual when life is really, really weird. Yeah for your staff! Kids need that. (So does the rest of the world right now.)
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This- your words- is/are everything. I am not in school this week (spring break) but as several of us work behind the scenes to get ready for possible closure, I have been thinking the same thing. You capture the scene so well in your writing- I feel as if I’m there in the hallway with you.
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Thanks so much for documenting this and sharing the ripples that followed. Reading about what’s going on in classrooms that appears to be business as usual while knowing that the underlying tension is present – teachers truly can be rock stars. As we all navigate this new terrain, I am grateful for every story that reminds me that we are not alone.
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This is an important thing to share right now. We need to stay calm as this storm swirls around us. It seems to be getting crazier every minute! It’s so nice that you shared this recognition of these amazing professionals!
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Our schools just closed in our county per the Governor. I loved your description during your walk in the hallways. Kuddos to your school! It’s great you could come together during this time of uncertainty.
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Teachers are amazing! It’s so crazy that we are having to deal with this mess. Glad your school handled this calmly and the day was mostly business as usual. Our district is not closed, yet! I hope we handle it with such composure.
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This may sound crazy, but it reminds me of 9/11. I was teaching at a school in Washington, DC. The fighter jets rattled the windows of the school as they scrambled. Inside the building, we taught. We taught right through until the last student was picked up. Teachers are amazing: I am so glad you work with these rock stars; I am so glad your students are prepared and supported as they head out for a few weeks.
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It’s so sweet that you appreciate the work and dedication that’s around you. What a great environment to be part of!
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It’s a good feeling to be proud of the people around you. I’m sure a closure is on its way for us. Not sure how we will handle it but I can hope it is as calm as you describe here .
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