Celebrating Students in the Time of COVID

The world sure is a stressful place these days. As a teacher who thrives on daily interaction with my students and colleagues, I now wander between curriculum prep, online classes, and piles of grading as well as through stress, worry, and boredom — like the rest of us in the wild world that we have nationally dubbed “quarantine.” 

In the midst of these struggles, my pride in my students has soared. They’ve all risen to this challenging occasion, and as we move closer to the end of the school year, I’m reminded of what we’re missing at the end of this term: graduation, communal displays of appreciation, and celebration, both for our graduating students and the collective feelings of accomplishment that May usually brings to the world of education. But what does it mean to celebrate in the time of COVID? What can it look like?

If you’re like me, you might be using the quarantine to catch up on some reading. I’ve been reminded of a favorite exchange between Frodo and Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring: “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

At Zealous Schools (a micro-middle school located in Eagle), we’ve fought the quarantine blues by deciding what to do with the time that is given to us. Our students work on passion projects all year, which are usually celebrated at the end of May with an “Expo” that students eagerly anticipate. This year, we celebrated virtually, working with students to brush up on their videography skills so they were ready to present videos detailing their projects. Hosting the videos live, with teacher and peer feedback, allowed students and our community to join in the celebration of student success. 

Graduation proffers a different challenge, yet in this time of distress, students need a bit of celebration — for making it through a difficult end of the year, for thriving in an unprecedented period of history, or maybe just for having the courage and grit to not hang out with their friends in the ways that they are accustomed. 

This year, Zealous staff rode our bikes to each of our students’ houses in Eagle and Gypsum, masks donned, streamers streaming, and celebratory signs waving high. At each house, we said a few words, cheered a few cheers, and sent off our students into the summer with heads held high. This year, we couldn’t bring our students to a graduation. Instead, we brought the graduation to them. 

While we all grieve the lives, livelihoods, and normalcy that have been lost due to COVID-19, it’s imperative that we cultivate the resolve and joy needed to get through the crisis together, as we know a house divided cannot stand. Celebration is a necessary part of our lives, just like education.

While educators across the country and world are creatively striving to bring learning to students’ homes and to create some sense of routine, that includes noticing and appreciating student successes, their creativity, and their resiliency in the face of crisis. Students and children are adaptable, strong, and often braver than adults give them credit for. And that’s something to celebrate. 

Zealous Schools serves students in 6-8th grade in Eagle, CO. Matt is their social studies Academic Coach. To learn more about Zealous, reach out to office@zealousschools.org