I’m in the middle of writing my new book “Like No Other School Year: 2020, Covid-19 and the growth of online learning.”

I’m at the chapter where the finding from interviewees was “Parents gained new respect for teachers.” 

It’s based on many glowing stories of how parents understood, maybe for the first time, that teaching is a complex endeavor that takes many skills and talents. Teachers work with individual students, groups of students and whole classrooms. They help children grow, learn and master concepts and curriculum. They instill respect for learning. There is nothing so valuable to a child’s education as a good teacher. And I believe most teachers are very good teachers.

Since March, 2020 many parents know how good their children’s teachers really are. Parents may have sat next to their child while they learned. Parents might have seen the teacher on their computer screen encouraging and engaging with their children. 

Good teaching feels like magic. When I was a tech director and a teacher, I knew who the really excellent teachers were. And to a person they would allow me to sit in the back of the classroom and watch what happened. It is amazing to see. (I know it’s not magic, I know it’s hard work of course.)

But now I am disheartened to hear disparaging words against teachers. Teachers who are worried about returning to school to teach in communities where restaurants, movie theatres, and gyms are closed because of the danger of the corona virus. 

Somehow the thinking is that even though it’s not safe to go to the movies, it’s safe to send your child to school. And thinking as though the adults in the building aren’t at risk.

Please, stop dumping on teachers. Please show the same appreciation so many of you had when you saw the magic of teaching your child. 

It may be different parents and it may be people who aren’t parents, I don’t know.

But please parents who saw the magic, speak up. Let your voices be louder than those disparaging teachers.

Grace. Compassion. Empathy. Love.