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The first piece of advice I was given as a new teacher was to be flexible: “Bend like a willow,” my mentor teacher told me. The teachers of ISD 77, and across southern Minnesota, are bending like willows as they respond to the new challenges of COVID-19. The true feat, however, is not only their flexibility, but that they continue to demonstrate persistence, excellence and care for our children.

On the first Monday of school closure, I had emails from both of my boys’ teachers at Hoover Elementary outlining meaningful work the boys could tackle immediately. In less than 24 hours, they adjusted what they had planned to do that week and pulled together resources for parents and students. This energy continued as they began planning for distance learning, all while checking on our children. 

Last Friday I picked up the distance work the teachers had created. As a former teacher, I could tell the immense amount of work and thought the teachers had put into its creation. Moreover, the process for getting us the individualized packets allowed everyone to stay within the current social distancing guidelines. The excellence and care put into this process has been outstanding, and I feel lucky that my boys are taught and cared for by these outstanding educators. 

Some schools have been holding parades of their staffs through school neighborhoods throughout the Mankato area to see their students, a reassuring action for anxious kids, but school staff, the teachers adapting their curriculum, the nutrition staff providing health lunches to students and the school support staff working overtime in schools buildings are the ones who truly deserve a parade.

Amy Feehan

North Mankato