Coffee Connections
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Dr. Esguerra orchestrates regular faculty coffee breaks and lunches.
For the past two weeks, Miller teachers have been hanging out...well, virtually! Catalina Esguerra, one of the Spanish teachers, has organized weekly catch-up breaks for teachers. Coffee Connections is a quick 15-20 minute time, held mid-morning on Wednesdays and Fridays, for teachers to pop their heads, say hello, stop for a cup of coffee, and celebrate and commiserate together. Fighting Monday Mayhem Lunch takes a page from what used-to-be Monday free lunch, where teachers ate lunch together, caught up about their weekends, and shared the anticipations and anxieties of the week ahead. During the online "lunch," Catalina poses one "dig deep" question that asks for people to reflect on some element of the new COVID-19 quarantine life—whether it be professional, personal, or otherwise. Many teachers are balancing hats as parents, siblings, and caretakers for their own parents, and all of those stressors affect them. Luckily, if Miller teachers are all defined by anything, it's their commitment to meeting their students where they are, no matter where that may be! That statement has never been more true now, as teachers share stories about one-on-one Zoom reach outs, tailored and innovative assignments, creative ways of live teaching, and even rolling with changes in AP examinations, so kids are prepared and confident.
Catalina commented: "One of the things that has repeatedly come up is how much everyone misses the embodied engagement we all had with each other and our students. This is one way for us to remember our community is still here, still thriving, and that we're not alone during this unprecedented time. It's my hope that teachers feel recharged and grounded after a lunch or coffee break. I know I definitely am!"
No doubt, the abrupt shift to online teaching and learning has asked for immense adaptability from everyone in the Miller community—students, staff, administrators, and of course, teachers. So, as everyone is feeling the growing pains of change, know that your teachers are not only staying present and available to students, but also staying connected with each other!
