Mid-week Message (Wed, March 25)

Greetings Baker Family, 

I wanted to take an opportunity to thank the parent community, student body, and everyone who has cooperated to make these first few days a success.  Let me start by stating that I realize that every Baker household is on a different journey. I realize we all have a wide variety of comfort when it comes to technology, learning, and time to allocate to supporting this new platform of education.  I have had many emails thanking our staff and the countless hours they have put into their new journey. I have also had a few emails from families that find this platform overwhelming. We 100% get it. To think that 2 weeks ago we were in class as normal, and now all the schools are empty and everything has been converted to a digital platform is hard for me to comprehend.  Thank you for your patience and understanding as our staff works tirelessly to make this happen for you.  

For those who sent messages of thanks, it means a lot. I have forwarded those messages to those who need to hear them and we appreciate you as well. I would like to take some time to clarify some of the expectations and even vocabulary we are transitioning over to here at the school.  This is a journey that will take some time. For decades we have been driven by schedules, assignments, deadlines and tests. There needs to be a language and expectation shift for this to work at its optimum level.

First off, there are no schedule or curriculum police.  Teachers understand that many things are going on in all homes and are here to give you curricular experiences.  By nature, teachers want students to learn, but they also want it to be in a non-threatening, stress-free environment.  Our goal is to provide educational experiences that are curriculum-related to students, not to overwhelm them with deadlines and tests.  In fact, I would like to change the language to something more organic and less structured. In order for this new approach to succeed, it requires a perspective shift that focuses more on the process and less on the product and deadline. A new perspective can include the following language:

By switching our mindsets from traditional education to where we are now, we will relieve some of the anxieties that we have.  If your child is struggling with an experience, or needs clarification, they need to contact your teacher. Three weeks ago we could see the frustration on your child’s faces and support them accordingly.  Unfortunately, now we cannot. We need parents and students to reach out and communicate so we can make your experience better.

Baker staff knows that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have.  I cannot stress enough how important communication is through this journey. We CAN work at different levels and paces.  That is OK! In fact, that is one of the unexpected benefits of online learning. We will be here for you every step of the way.

We are constantly learning and making adjustments as we go.  We are excited to offer education in this new way and are looking forward to all the new experiences we all will take part in.  This is a new journey for all of us. Every footprint we all make is down a new road that has been yet travelled. We as Baker staff are happy and excited to be on this journey together with you.

Thank you and stay safe!
Mr. Preb