160: Sue Doerrman

Special Education Teacher

For 17 months March 2020 through August 2021, Sue taught in a combination of virtually, hybrid (some in class/some on line simultaneously) and finally all in person. Her students need additional care, due to learning disabilities. But she was there for the 9th through 12th grade she teaches. She taught both the kids and their parents how to attend remotely, all while she was learning it herself. “It was difficult for some of them.”

Sue has been teaching for 13 years. But she had only signed on at this school three months before the shutdown. She said in regard to teaching hybrid, “It’s not a great way to teach in general. Then add to that a learning disability.  It’s a tough balance.”

Adding to these difficulties, after she lost her uncle to COVID, she contracted COVID at the same time her life-partner did. They were both very sick for about a month. She says, “It was scary physically but more was the emotional piece.  We constantly asked are we going to make it?” Her neighbors were very kind. “They brought us food, did grocery runs, watched our pets, things like that. They’d ask how we liked the food. And I’d tell them we have no sense of taste.” She said with a grateful smile, “Save the good stuff for when we’re better. I’m longing to taste just chicken broth and noodles again.”

She hopes we all, “Grab a hold of the simplicity that came from being stopped. It’s about quality of time (spent with people) not the amount of time.”