HARTFORD, Conn — With the coronavirus pandemic continuing, parents are understandably concerned about kids going back to school in just a couple weeks.
Michelle Rawcliffe is a middle school teacher in Woodstock and a mom of two. She feels the emotions from both sides of the classroom, “For teachers, there are a lot of mixed emotions: They feel overwhelmed with protecting themselves, but on the opposite end teachers are really excited to do what they’re really excited to do what they’re good at and do what they love.”
She says she and so many of her colleagues have been preparing for the reopening since school ended last fall by keeping up with all the safety guidelines and professional development and so many webinars online she’s lost count. “I’ve worked more this summer than I ever have before,” Rawcliffe admits.
Her high schooler son is going to do online learning, while her daughter will return to the classroom for 6th grade, when her school opens with a hybrid model.
When it comes to teaching, she says educators have a lot of challenges to deal with, but says they’re ready, and hopes that parents will continue to trust and communicate with teachers, who are passionate about their craft. ““We’ve been working really hard to create the best possible situation for children, and just trust us and talk to us and keep reaching out to us because we want to work together with p:arents to make this the best possible situation for kids.”
Michelle is a health teacher, and can’t stress enough the importance of educating the whole child, keeping health, PE and recess as priorities, whether it’s online learning or in person: “Health and PE are so important to everyday schedules. It’s social and emotional learning. If we have a way of constantly making them feel safe and secure, while providing coping strategies and resiliency strategies we can help them get through some of these changes they ace or have faced already.”
Michelle is offering a FREE webinar for educators August 18th at 1pm about incorporating self esteem and body confidence to middle school students.
FREE WEBINAR: “Dove Self Esteem Project: Confident Me!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH, 1PM
FREE CURRICULUM: The CT Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
www.ctahperd.org/
Register here: https://ctahperd.org/online-coaching-courses/