Alone and Together: Teaching During The Pandemic
My friend Johanna hates camping with such verve I bought her one of those retro 50s sarcastic housewife magnets that says “I Love Not Camping.” So when she told me I needed to watch Alone on Netflix, I was intrigued. Alone is a reality competition show where outdoor survival specialists travel to a remote part of the world to survive with the bare minimum of supplies. The competitor who lasts the longest wins $500,000. Season 6 takes place in the Canadian Arctic. The participants’ neighbors are squirrels, hares, moose, fish, and wolverines. Their meals are also squirrels, hares, moose, fish, and wolverines if the participants are lucky; otherwise, it’s moss tea.
Why did I watch this show? A few episodes in, I realized I needed to process this year’s big journey: teaching during a pandemic. Whether your district is 100% in-person, hybrid, or virtual, we are on an adventure as well, except instead of hatchets, fishing poles, and ferro rods, our survival kits include masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.
I expected to see near-flawless experts on Alone, but then Nikki cuts her hand, stabs herself in the leg with an arrow, and gets bitten by a squirrel. Jordan kills a moose, but it turns out moose meat is very low in fat, which doesn’t provide enough nutrients. These contestants are messy, and it was affirming. These failures are reminders of growth mindset. We are all going to make many mistakes this year. The best we can do is learn from those mistakes and keep it moving.
Some contestants are the colleagues who will support us this school year. For example:
Woniya Thiebault is the Go-To Teacher-Leader. No matter what, she maintains a positive attitude. Woniya not only has a goal of winning, she wants to enjoy the journey. On dark days, colleagues like Woniya say lovely things such as, “I’ve loved being here with every fiber of my being…what a thing to get to experience.” If you have a Woniya on your staff, keep her close and let her know you value her.
Nikki Van Schyndel is the Quirky Teacher. She wears her hair in two braids, sleeps with a “teddy bear” she fashioned out of a hare pelt, and smudges herself with smoking juniper to purify her body. Nikki has fun and we will need colleagues who remind us to look on the bright side. If you have a Nikki on your staff, let her know her sense of humor and unique outlook are giving you life.
The cold in Alone is relentless. “Relentless” in my part of Pennsylvania describes community members who minimize COVID-19. Parents post things on Facebook such as, “Keep walking blindly with masks sheep (sic).” So how do we defeat these relentless threats? We, too, must build shelters to insulate ourselves from their coldness. For example, limit social media time and stay in touch with friends and family who support you. Remember to take walks, sew, woodwork — whatever fills your cup. Check-in with a counselor. Protect your energy this school year more than ever.
I challenge us to embrace an adventurous spirit, our teacher bags packed with physical and spiritual protective gear to help us persevere. Please remember that even when you feel the most alone, fellow educators, we are really in this together.
