Hi Dial Up family!
It's been a difficult few weeks with many lives being turned upside down, others feeling like they've been put on hold, as a result of Cornoavirus and the ensuing lockdown. Many of us are missing The Dial Up and the space it created for all of us to share, enjoy and celebrate community and creativity. I'm delighted to see how many online spaces have opened up to keep people connected and creative.
In my role as Present of the Humanist Teacher Network, I wrote a message to my members a couple of weeks ago and felt many of the themes might chime with what regular Dial Uppers are feeling at the moment. I've copied it in full below for those who fancy a read. I hope you're all coping well with lockdown. Stay well, stay safe, stay creative and much love. Alex xx
Dear Members,
Firstly, I hope you're all well and safe in these turbulent times. Covid 19 has changed the way we have been working over the past few weeks in quite remarkable ways. So few of us would ever have imagined at the start of the year that by April we would have become experts in remote teaching and learning, employing new digital technologies to try as much as possible to provide high quality education, motivation, and quite frankly a bit of normality in the lives of our students. I hope you've all felt able to cope with the radical changes that have been expected of us, whatever your educational context.
I've been particularly pleased with how powerfully the message about relying on science and scientific advice has been expressed by the government and politicians at large during this time. Humanism advocates evidence based decision making, and we don't have to look too far into the past (or indeed too far across the globe) to find examples of superstition taking a more prominent place in the public debate. This is a wonderful learning moment for our students if we're able to bring it to their attention.
These have been difficult times, and there have inevitably been moments of confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty in all of our lives. But one thing is certain: we're rising to the challenge. And we're doing so by relying on one another, by strengthening our human connections, exercising our human resourcefulness, and wherever possible extending kindness to friends, family, neighbours, and strangers. I've been touched each day by stories on the news of people looking out for one another, from restaurants setting up schemes to provide free meals, to our brave NHS workers, to communities clapping for carers at 8pm each Thursday.
I'd like to take this opportunity to clap for you, as teachers and educators, for all you're doing to keep your students learning, inspired, and well supported. Please remember that the Humanist Teacher Network is here to support you, too. Our
education resources are free to download and so might provide interesting activities for remote learning. Our
free online courses might also help to keep you busy during lockdown: they are a great way to develop your subject knowledge of humanism and engage in social learning with other learners from around the globe. Feel free to email me on
teachers@humanism.org.uk if you have questions or points you'd like to raise. If we can help we will.
It's important we keep talking, keep exercising, keep striving to be the best we can be, and keep humanism visible even in our new educational contexts. I wish you all the very best during the next few months. Stay safe and stay well.
Yours, Alex Williams
President, Humanist Teachers Network
