There is such a fine line to walk these days. As a parent, I very much want my school to send me things to do with my kids - I relish the lists. I need them. We need structure. But I also need them to continually reassure me that the list is a guide not directions. Options.

As a teacher, I believe that the work we do is good. That reading and writing are good, and healthy, and important even more now. So I want to spend time on lessons and valuable work for my students. I want to spend time on minutia because sometimes those little things matter.

But I also need to know that students are going to be all over the place in their ability to do this work. For so many reasons that people smarter than me have outlined on this and other platforms. I can& #39;t get upset that a middle school kid isnt doing their work.

I should be upset if I have not made contact though. If I don& #39;t know how my kids are doing. If my district is making me focus only on assignments and compliance and not on connection and engagement and community.

Right now, like in all times, it is not either/or. We do not have to choose between working on our pedagogy OR working on our connections. We should do both, and strive to find the places where they intersect.