Teachers are among our essential workers and like frontline health workers they pivoted many times during the challenges of the pandemic to be a constant anchor and support for their students during this chaos. We have a few teachers in our church family and we wanted to know how they're doing, what the pandemic has been like for them and hopefully in hearing their stories we can gain more understanding and empathy with what they have to face each day. Meet Ben & Jenn! 😊
1. Hi there! Could you introduce yourself and let us know what you do for work?
Ben Lee (Grade 6 teacher)
Jenn Lee (Kindergarten teacher)
2. How has the pandemic and covid affected your work?
We don't know where to even start.... from sanitizing, masking, cohorting, keeping kids "physically distanced" - like that actually happens, planning for in-person... oh just kidding.. you're online... and back to in-person... but still provide work for the ones who are quarantining and have to be taught online, ABSOLUTLEY no sharing and did I mention cleaning and sanitizing? This is just the tip of the iceberg, talk to any teacher and ask them how the last couple years have gone... better yet... just ask them how this last wave with Omicron has gone... we have stories... we can go on forever.
3. How has the covid pandemic affected your personal life/family/mental health?
Our personal lives have been a lot quieter, which in many ways have made our family life better! We welcomed the simplicity of life, especially during the Summer months. We stayed home, played outside, made home cooked meals, taught Ezra how to bike, skateboard, rollerskate, play basketball, swim in the lake... no paid lessons required! We made great family memories during Covid. We love being in nature with our son and our dog, seeing them play together in God's creation brings us so much joy. Some of our favourite memories include camping, hiking and driving out to the mountains. We didn't completely isolate ourselves from people though, we bought a fire pit which came in handy when we couldn't gather indoors. We are also thankful to our family, ALG (adult life group) and community of friends whom we stayed connected with throughout the pandemic. Our mental health has definitely taken a toil, especially during the school year and we are still struggling with how to navigate the constant demands, changes, uncertainties and pure exhaustion that comes with teaching during this Covid pandemic.
4. What have you learned from your experiences of the pandemic over the past two years and how has this affected your faith?
Last year, we were very stressed and had a lot of anxiety about keeping our family and our students healthy. We worried about exposing our unvaccinated students (who weren't eligible at the time to get vaccines) to Covid. We worried about exposing our son to Covid. Eventually two out of three of us ended up getting Covid anyway, it was inevitable. Covid has disrupted the lives of so many, and in some cases, taken lives. Recently one of our own family members passed away from Covid. We have experienced moments of great heartache and sorrow. In these challenging moments, we found ourselves asking, "Why?" And somehow in God's mysterious ways, He always reminds us that His ways are not our ways, trust Him.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."- Isaiah 55:8-9
5. With all the changes that have happened to your family during the pandemic, what is one change you’d like to carry with you into post-pandemic life?
Live simply and stay connected to God and others.
6. How can we pray for you?
Pray for the students, families and staff at our schools. It has been a very very difficult few months with Omicron ripping through classrooms. Pray for the physical and mental well being of our students. Pray for school staff, who are burnt out physically and mentally.
7. What are some practical ways we can show our frontline workers we care?
To remember that your choices affect those around you and show kindness, appreciation and empathy.
8. The floor is yours. Is there anything else you want to say?
Got nothing. We're tired. :)