Editorial

I often think of my time at school like a wildlife documentary. Students are the dominant species of course, owning the space, adapting to the terrain that they've grown up in, in complete control of the going ons and happenings of their primary social setting. Until, of course, the teachers appear. Old, experienced, commanding respect and obedience, teachers rule this jungle. Students fall in line when the senior teachers prowl. It is the law.

But every king was once a prince, or even a princeling. When the new teacher shows up, young and fresh faced, students smell that inexperience. A new teacher is nervous, and students feed on that nervousness. Destroying their best laid study plans, students make sure every new teacher is initiated with a trial of fire.

In hindsight, I have a lot of sympathy for new teachers. And I really can't imagine how difficult it must be to go through all of that now that classes are online. As a new teacher, it used to be difficult enough to exert control over a classroom in person. Over Zoom, with network issues and background noises? I can't even.