Politics & Government
State Rep. Candidate Carla Volpe Pens Op-Ed On Education
"As a teacher, I have been up close and personal with this very strange COVID environment we have all been forced to navigate."
Press release from Carla Volpe:
Oct. 12, 2020
“Back to School!” is the traditional Fall rallying cry for teachers, students and parents. But this year, things are different. Very different.
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As a teacher, I have been “up close and personal” with this very strange COVID environment we have all been forced to navigate.
And the upheavals don’t just revolve around me going back to work. Our 3-year-old daughter, Hunter, started preK-3 this month; something that would have been a huge transition for both of us without the added confusions caused by this virus.
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Further complicating things – as if we needed more complications – we worry about taking the proper precautions so that we don’t bring COVID-19 back into the house and inadvertently infect my compromised 74-year-old Dad who lives with us.
Attempting to cope with all this, I have fallen back on three “tried and true” principles that I announce to my art class students at the beginning of each semester.
“Be creative,” I tell them. Don’t get stuck thinking you have no talent for this. Open your mind and your heart to any possibility that occurs to you and then go for it!
“Have some patience.” You’re not going to be brilliant from Day One. Developing any new skill set takes time and practice.
“Kindness is king!” This is true not only in relation to other people, but also in relation to yourself. Be sure to ‘cut yourself some slack’ when it comes to how you thought it was going to turn out versus the actual final result.
Taking my own preaching to heart, I have been trying to be as creative, patient and kind as I can with the changes in my school, in my relationships with students and parents, and in relation to all of the new complications that have arisen in our home.
I’m realizing that practicing these three virtues is not as easy as I make it sound when I’m talking to 12-year-olds, but it has clearly been helping me – and all of those around me – when I can keep them in the forefront of my mind and then actually put them into practice.
Be kind. Be patient. And be creative!
One way or another, we WILL get through this!
Carla Volpe
Candidate - State Representative 134
This press release was produced by Carla Volpe. The views expressed here are the author's own.
