We’d like to share a post by Greg Duncan, someone that we’ve always looked to for inspiration and guidance for all things education… and life. Megan and I so appreciated and felt comforted by his message. We hope you do, too! – Kara & Megan

April 3, 2020

Dear friends and colleagues,

These are such bizarre times. They are causing us to adjust to the normalcy of uncertainty and, simultaneously, to appreciate the peace and contentment to be found in daily routines over which we can have some control.  I think about you all daily and the difficulties that you face as educators and as parents, and I know that there are challenges abundant on each of those fronts.

As I try to stay as current as my psyche will allow with daily news, I seldom encounter content these days that inspires. But yesterday, in the online version of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, I came across something that stopped me dead in my tracks with its clarity and its synthesis of where we, as educators, find ourselves at this moment in time.  I am attaching this opinion piece titled, “This is not home schooling, distance learning or online schooling” for you.  Here’s a tease:

This is not business as usual and it is unethical to act as if it could be. No one can (or should) expect the Covid-19 schooling happening at home to be anything close to usual, and perhaps this moment is providing all of us a chance to do something different: learn to be.

Learning to be will take some work, and maybe we’re in a moment of system decompression right now. All of us: children, teenagers, college students, teachers, professors, administrators, parents, and guardians might finally be getting to a point of taking a collective deep breath.

I think the writers provide us with a great centering opportunity, and I commend their thoughts to you. Maybe you will find their thoughts a little bit of inspiration, too.

I miss you all and look forward to a return to normalcy just as soon as it’s possible—and safe for everyone.

With kindest regards,

Greg