Lessons from E-Learning
Scripture Reading (a new paraphrase):
“Blessed are the teachers,
for they will give everything they have to their students and just hope that it’s sinking in.
Blessed are the grown-ups at home,
for they will quickly have to learn how to navigate Google Classroom and take a crash course in elementary school math all while trying to do their full-time jobs.
Blessed are the students,
for they will do their best to learn while also having to figure things out for themselves.
Blessed are the e-learning centers and their proctors,
for they will serve as teachers, tooth fairies, nurses, guidance counselors, lunch room assistants, and IT specialists.”Beatitudes for E-Learning
Written by Rev. Kristen Koger
3 Lessons from E-Learning
So obviously our “passage” for the day can’t be found in the Bible. But the above blessing has been floating around in my brain for the last couple of months. But first, a little backstory.
When news was shared that the majority of schools in our community were going to be beginning the year with virtual learning, an immediate need was thought of: what about households where the adults have to work, but their child will be home for school?
Harriet Holland and I put our heads together and we came up with a way to help families in our community as they navigated yet another hurdle in the midst of this pandemic. We knew that there would be families who needed care for their children during the day so they could work, but who may not have had the resources to hire a full-time babysitter or tutor to help their child.
So we opened the First Camp E-learning Center. We welcomed about 25 students from Kindergarten-5th grade to our church so they could come and do school each day.
They brought their devices and their school supplies and we set them up at tables so they were socially distanced;
we required them to wear masks for the majority of the day; and
we asked them to do their very best to learn.
The last week of October was the end of my time at the e-learning center, and it was so hard to say goodbye to the kids that I have grown to love and adore these last two-and-a-half months. And while the goal was for us to help the kids learn how to do math and phonics and reading and all the other school things, there were several lessons they taught me as well, and I want to share those with you.
1) Be proud of yourself!
To my knowledge, there are very few of us who have lived through a time like this. Everything is different and we are all having to learn new things; we are all facing challenges. It is very easy to get discouraged when you don’t get something right the first, second, or even third time. But remember- you haven’t done this before! Whether you are in kindergarten trying to figure out how to do addition or you are a parent trying to figure out how to juggle e-learning and work or you are a senior adult trying to figure out how to join Zoom- you are doing a good job! Be proud of what you are doing and learning!
2) We all need a little encouragement, and we need to use our words to offer encouragement to others.
It is amazing how a few positive words can change our day or our attitude. When working with kids, sometimes all it takes is for you to get a little silly or goofy as you try to cheer on a kid as they are taking a math test, or as they are trying to sound out words to spell. I now consider myself a master of coming up with random cheers or theme songs on the spot in order to help someone get through the challenge they are facing.
Simple things like saying “thank you” or “stay safe” or “have a good day” can change someone’s outlook. I feel like when we are in stores these days, we can’t read how people are feeling because our faces are covered with masks. We are also trying to get what we need and get out of the store quicker than maybe we would have 8 months ago.
We have to use our words in order to offer encouragement. I can’t just smile at the grocery store worker and let them know I am thankful for them; I have to say “thank you for what you are doing.” And even though I can’t see their face, I can tell that they are smiling back when they hear these words. Try this during your week and see how many people you can make smile (even if you can’t see it) because you are cheering them on.
3) We are all doing the best we can with what we have.
One of our kids at the e-learning center would get frustrated when her teacher would ask her to go get legos so they could build a fire department, or when she was told she needed to go find play-dough to make her treasure map. She was frustrated because she wasn’t at her house where she had those things, and we didn’t always have the specific supply she needed. So we worked on helping her (and her teacher) think creatively so she could do her best with the supplies we had.
This motto is one of my favorite mottos for life. We are each doing the best we can with what we have in that moment. Sometimes we have more to give than others; sometimes there is more available to us than we need and sometimes we have less. But no matter what we are each doing our best for that moment. The people around us are doing the best they can with what they have in that moment. Remember that as you are interacting with folx this week…and every week.
Working with the e-learning center has been (and probably will be) one of the most meaningful, challenging, and worthwhile things I will ever do. I am so thankful for the families that trusted us with their children and for the children who taught me so many things. Seeing them persevere and learn gives me so much hope for the future. And I can’t wait to see how they continue to change the world.
Reverend Kristen Koger has served as the Pastor for Children and Families at FBC Decatur since June 2017. Kristen loves working with the youngest of God’s family as she helps them realize that they have some of the most important gifts to offer the family of God. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her dog Dietrich “Bonehoeffer,” cooking, knitting, and playing board games.