When my kids started school decades ago, I found September to be more of a milestone for me than their birthdays.  Because my educational experience was less than ideal, I was apprehensive about whether I was going to be able to hold up my end of the educational deal between teacher and parent. Each year, I felt like I was climbing a higher mountain in their educational journey.  Briskly moving from simple colors and letters in kindergarten, to high school physics class, fear became a frequent visitor. 

I truly don’t know what parents are going through today raising and educating a child during a pandemic.  But I do know the fear and doubt that are ever-present as a parent.  Rather than give you sympathy and be a co-conspirator which only serves to feed your fear and doubt, I am going to offer you something much better, hope. Hope along with the opportunity for social and emotional learning for both you and your child that will last long after the pandemic is over. 

What saved me from plummeting down the K-12 education mountain were the teachers.  Thankfully, my fear forced me to crack open the door just a little to admitting I needed help; and there, standing by willing and able, was a teacher.  I have hung around teachers for decades and one thing I know for sure, they’re suckers when it comes to teaching.  They are educators to the core.  They helped this frightened little Momma and showed me the way.  So much so that when my oldest daughter graduated from high school, those same teachers told me now it was my turn. “You are one smart cookie, go back to college, and get your degree.”  This smart and still frightened little cookie listened and soon thereafter ensued a bachelors and masters degree and my twentieth year in business connecting parents and teachers.

I urge you to get your hiking boots on and climb this mountain one step at a time.  When reflecting on my journey here is what I can pass along for you to consider: