COVID-19

  • Teaching Through the Pandemic 2

    ByAllen Reding

    In 1979, I was caught in a flood that forced me to abandon my car and wade through the dark toward safety. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the confusion and fear of that night would echo decades later in the classroom. Teaching through the pandemic carried the same weight—sudden changes, no clear path, and the need to lean on others. We Survived and Grew During the summer of 1979, a torrential downpour fell on my hometown. In what seemed like no time, flood waters engorged most of the surrounding streets. Instead of staying in the safe, relatively … Read more

  • Teaching Through the Pandemic 1

    ByAllen Reding

    I taught through the biggest disruption most of us have ever seen. What finally made sense wasn’t the screen time or the tech—we were just trying to be present with kids who needed something steady. Now I know it wasn’t about keeping up with the chaos—it was about holding on to whatever sense of classroom felt human. As I think about my schooling in the 60s and 70s, I am amazed at the amount of technology available to teachers and students today. Back in my high school days, using a simple four-function calculator in math class was considered cheating. Back … Read more

  • Faith, Fear & Feeding the Wrong Wolf

    ByAllen Reding

    Life throws fear and faith into the same jungle, and they fight for control. When I feel overwhelmed, I think of my drained laptop battery—trying to run on fear alone leaves us weak. God’s words are like plugging back into better power; they don’t get rid of the battering, but they help you keep going. It’s a simple choice, but not always an easy one. The News: US returns to 1,000 coronavirus deaths in a day and officials warn pandemic will only get worse (CNN) God: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the … Read more

  • Standing Strong in the Chaos

    ByAllen Reding

    God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2   Four years ago, I stepped back into my school building alongside my fellow teachers, returning for the first time since we’d left for spring break in March 2020. COVID-19 was still in full force, and our return was marked by uncertainty, anxiety, and a sense that everything could change at a moment’s notice. Reflecting on those days now, I’m struck by how profoundly that season reshaped not … Read more