For about a decade, we have worried about raising resilient children. During this time, many of our high school graduates have excelled academically, yet are under-equipped for the trials and tribulations of college life. One culprit, suggest some experts, were adults who too quickly rescue children from difficult circumstances. Helicopter Parents, said one child psychologist, have been replaced by Snowplow Parents, adults who seek to eliminate any and all obstacles on the pathway to success.
Then came the pandemic, an obstacle mightier than the strongest snowplow, and with it, I have witnessed a surprising result on the Hilltop: a resurgence of resilience. All year, Marshall students have shown an ability to adjust to drastic changes and to adapt to different modes of learning. Since March, they have encountered numerous disappointments. They lost access to rights of passage, to favorite activities, and to friends. Yet, through it all, Marshall students have shown true grit. In many ways, despite the disruptions to learning and daily life, our upperclassman are more ready for the challenges ahead.
If we adults received the blame for failing to foster resilience pre-pandemic, then we should take a moment to accept some credit for its resurgence. We all understand that students learn resilience when they accept risk. Since the virus arrived a year ago, parents and teachers have modeled risk taking out of necessity. In so doing, we have normalized the discomfort it brings and destigmatized the emotions that accompany moments of true difficulty. As teachers and parents, we have been pushed beyond our comfort zones, and our children have been savvy enough to notice. Previously, we may have feared that our struggle with challenges or our bouts with discomfort might worry our children or show too much vulnerability. It strikes me, however, that the opposite is true: our vulnerability gives our children permission to accept the same.
I think of the many ways that Marshall is a better community because of the risks that we have taken together this year. First and foremost, new and returning families took the risk of enrolling at Marshall and trusting that we could all keep the community safe. Although we felt vulnerable at times, new parents trusted that we could build a schedule, create safety protocols, and deliver content in a hybrid format. More importantly, when we made mistakes, you stuck with us.
There is simply no doubt that education is evolving thanks to the resilience of our teachers. As I watch a day unfold here at Marshall, I marvel at the risks our teachers have taken and continue to take. The sum total of these risks make us a better school; better at blended learning, better at social-emotional support, better at providing flexibility and accommodations for our students. We improved in all of these areas due to trial and error, and with our students watching us along the way. Now, when we ask them to take a risk, they know that we, too, are willing to live with the discomfort risk invites.
The pandemic has not been easy, and I do not mean to make light of anyone's struggles, but times of challenge give us opportunities for growth. Marshall will be more innovative and forward-thinking, and our graduates will be unafraid to take chances. We are increasingly excited to incorporate the many good changes we have introduced this year, and increasingly confident that our graduates won't need snowplows in college nor beyond.