My Pedagogy of Love informs me this is not online teaching, this is teaching in a crisis

Dear Education Reformers, Data Crunchers, Policy Makers, Profiteers, and Standardized Dreams,

Yes, the learning is second to whatever small humanity we may bring to the lives of our students. This isn't teaching online, this is crisis teaching, and as in any crisis, our understanding matters more than the lessons we teach. This is not the new normal, this is temporary, reminding us that our classrooms are sacred places. What is taught doesn't always get learned, and what is learned doesn't is not necessarily taught. Decades from now, what remains will not be the facts and figures I taught, but some distant memories of the empathy and humanity I shared in this pandemic. Content always comes second to our understanding.

This is not some new normal. This is teachers doing our best to bring some humanity to teaching in this pandemic. The likes of which have not been seen in a hundred years.

I teach teachers.
I shall not dwell on the research.
I shall not cite endless facts and figures.
I shall not demand from them perfect papers and correct responses.
I shall lead with love, joy, and hope.

They shall know my biggest fear was not meeting the standard, but of losing them.
They shall know that the best any teacher can bring to his/her classroom is humanity.
They shall know that there is one pedagogy that rises above all others.
They know that a Pedagogy of Love is second to none, and
They shall say he loves us, enough to always lead with his humanity.

When this has passed, when our pain and grieving begins. I hope whatever small humanity I was able to bring my online teaching and learning heal hearts. That my teachers might remember my heartfelt empathy was my Strategic Learning Objective. In reality, it has always been humanity in the classroom matters more than the facts and figures we teach. I am not racing for some perfect test scores. I am reaching for hearts that matter.

When this pandemic comes to an end, and we piece up the pieces of this trauma teaching and learning time. I shall lead pick up the pieces, do my best to heal my students, family, friends, and myself. I will turn off my Smartphone, my tablet, and my laptop, and I shall put up the welcome home sign, embrace that most sacred space my classroom, and say I have missed you, come in, share, and let love shine brightly hear. If I become one of the ones that do not make it. May they remember that Dr. Turner loved them, cared for them, believed in them, and dreamed bigger things for them than perfect little boxes of ticky tacky?

Peace, love, joy, and endless hope,
Dr. Jesse P. Turner
Professor of Literacy, Elementary, and Early Childhood

"Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky tacky Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes all the same."

If you like to listen to the song that I listened to this morning on my walk alone. Its Malvina Reynolds "Little boxes" > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2lGkEU4Xs <