Dear Alberta,
We have been through a lot. That is an understatement. We know this. Our province has shown divisions we did not know existed and possibly felt impossible before now. (a long thread) 1/ We have seen and heard treatment of individuals that makes us shake with anger, cry with sadness and slouch with disappointment and fatigue. Not everyone is at wit’s end but all of us certainly feel worse off than we were two years ago. 2/

One year, I had a grade 3 student in PE who was outgoing & loved to share her ideas & stories. When she came into grade six she was quiet & hid her face. She always wore her coat & would barely speak. When she did, it was almost inaudible. I was startled by this stark change. 🧵 I started working with mom right away, to figure out what went awry and why this girl was acting so differently. Mom said she became very concerned with her clothes over the summer and would stress about what to wear each day. 🧵

I’m a teacher. Over 10 years—mostly grade 6 and elementary Phys. Ed. People are scared. I get that. My friends and colleagues are asking if I am. And I am but not for the reasons they may think. 1/12 @AdrianaLaGrange @AlbertaEd @ATALocal55 @albertateachers @alberta_moms Covid scares me but so does cancer, car accidents, early on-set Alzheimer’s — and I can’t do anything about those things. Preventative things sure. But people get sick. People die. And schools have always been a dangerous place in terms of getting sick. 2/12