This past week I’ve seen a lot of back to school posts.  They look very different this year than they have in the past.  I see pictures of kids holding their sign about what grade they are in and what they want to do when they grow up just like in other years.  However, this year, they aren’t getting on a school bus, and many aren’t even going to a school building.  Many states have chosen to start this school year with remote learning.  Some private schools have opened up their buildings, but on a more restricted basis than in the past.  In our town, there are several businesses that have opened up “learning stations” where students can do their remote learning within a small group setting and with the help of an on-site tutor.  There are also a number of parents, not wanting the uncertainty of starting one way and possibly changing mid-year, who have opted to enroll their students in the full year virtual academy or to homeschool.  Not only have I seen various changes in the back-to-school photos, I’ve also seen the worry and doubt expressed by parents.  For almost every picture I’ve seen of smiling and/or masked faces, I’ve also heard parents express their concern about whether or not they made the right choice for this year.  Don’t worry, Momma, God is in control, teachers are giving their all, and kids are resilient.  

We have a sovereign God who was not surprised at all by how this year is progressing.  We are told in Matthew 6:25-34, “do not be anxious about your life.”  God provides for birds and flowers, and he will provide for his people as well.  Anxiety does nothing to extend our life, if anything, it will only shorten it.  We can trust that God has things under control.  While these verses refer specifically to God meeting our physical needs of food and clothing, it doesn’t change the fact that God is in sovereign control of all things, including our children’s school.  I often struggle when things don’t go according to my plan, but it helps me to know that everything progresses according to God’s plan.  He knew what this year would bring for our children, and it will go according to his plan.

Teachers have been planning and learning.  As a former teacher myself, I know a lot of teachers.  All of the teachers I know have been working through the summer to learn new ways to communicate over distances, ways to teach virtually, ways for students to express learning, and searching for all the resources they could find.  Teachers have been creating virtual classrooms, slideshow presentations, videos and the like to help other teachers, parents, and students acclimate to distance learning.  These teachers were not trained for this.  Even the most recent graduates had only some experience with integrating technology in the classroom, not necessarily using technology as the classroom!  However, teachers are tenacious, and they didn’t do all this summer learning and planning to sit back and relax. They are doing everything they can to reach and teach their students.  Parents who have chosen homeschool are doing what they feel will work best for their children.  They know their children the best, and will do everything they can to help their kids learn.  With that much dedication and determination, these students will learn. 

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulty, and kids do this all the time!  As much as we try to shield our kids from difficulties, these are the things that cause them to grow and learn.  I’ve met adults who have had their parents do everything for them for their whole lives, keeping them in a safe, protected “bubble” as they grew up.  They are helpless adults who don’t know how to do basic tasks, and are quick to give up when things get difficult.  They don’t have the confidence to try and fail.  We learn from mistakes, failures, and hard lessons.  Don’t get me wrong, I hate watching my kids learn the hard way.  I want nothing more than to swoop in and save the day.  However, I must weigh the cost, and often that means hanging back and letting them learn.  I can only imagine how this crazy year is going to impact our children.  I do know, no matter what learning style you have chosen for your kids, they will learn.   If nothing else, students learning remotely will learn new ways of communication, interaction, and expression.  We thought we were a digital, global community before all of this happened.  If your kids are headed back to an actual school building, they will be learning more about hygiene and how we can limit the spread of germs, bacteria, and viruses.  They will be more aware of how one person’s actions may affect others.  If you have chosen homeschool this year, your kids are learning about different approaches to learning.  They will have some new experiences as they watch mom teach all of them, in different grades, at the same time.  They may even have the opportunity to help teach younger siblings, and teaching is also a great way to learn!  Along with all of these new styles of learning, our children will still learn reading, writing, and arithmetic.  With all the news, discussions, debates, and opinions about a global pandemic, they may even have a newfound interest in science and social studies, and interest drives learning!

This year may not look like anything you have seen before.  You may have had to face more choices about your kids' education than you ever thought to consider.  You may have stressed, worried and cried your way to a decision, and are now anxious about whether or not it was the right one.  Take a deep breath.  You made your decision for a reason; God is in control, and it will be enough.   If you are seeking peace, heed the words of Philippians 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.   And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus.”