August 2020

Since March, it seems like everything has just stopped! For sure, as the months pass by, the coronavirus has changed us all. So many fears and concerns about the future. People ask when things will be normal again. How long will this quarantine last? Will my plans about school need to change? Can I learn virtually? Questions and more questions linger, as we all forge ahead trying to figure out what comes next.

Amidst the pain and suffering so many people and families have endured, for me, there sparks a flame of gratitude and a purpose to move forward believing that things will get better. There is a hope and sense of gratitude that I feel knowing that my family and friends and students are okay. That I must keep going and find a way to be creative and continue to teach in a new virtual realm.

For a while, there was a pause. . . what to do? How to teach virtually? How to be available for my students from a distance? But, little by little, things began to fall into place. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to “figure things out” last session often with the help of my students and colleagues. Thankfully, some new ideas continue to emerge. Most important, I have realized that we must appreciate the positive and learn from the changes that have taken place.

This past June, we completed another TTC program. All the students have made plans to move on to college and/or a training program, which could be another online experience for most of them. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to have taught my students virtually and have given them the opportunity to experience a new learning platform, which will hopefully make things easier for them next semester.

My challenge now will be how to bring a new group of students together virtually. But, I am grateful for this new opportunity and will keep the creative juices flowing to start again. Nothing is impossible as long as you keep moving forward. We have already begun a Pre-TTC orientation to get our new students onboard for October.

I wish our recent TTC graduates well and look forward to getting to know our new students better. Together we will find even more ways to teach and learn together online.

With gratitude,

Marie Crecca-Romero
TTC Program Director