Fellowship of the Masks

In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins laments to the wizard Gandalf that he wished the ring of power had never come to him. He wished that his life circumstances and the events in his life were different, that maybe the world was different. Sound familiar? If the past year has shown us anything, it’s that Frodo’s lament is not an isolated wish. My favorite part of this scene, however, is Gandalf’s response. “So do all who live to see such times; but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” (Tolkien, 1954, pgs 55-56). As we look back on the past year, I would like to reflect on how we can change our attitudes. Let’s ditch the lament, and instead focus on Gandalf’s challenge to our Fellowship of the Masks.

Just one short year and a few weeks ago, no one would have imagined that we would be teaching remotely while the world seemed to stop and hold its collective breath, hoping to not get sick. We never would have imagined that we would be unable to truly say goodbye to our students, like in our school district, since schools closed their doors on Friday only to find out Sunday that they would not reopen for the foreseeable future. Then, as if that wasn’t difficult enough, the fall reopening was different for so many reasons. Some schools only taught students remotely, while others opened completely but with restrictions and safety protocols that teachers and students had never experienced before. Then there were schools that opened as a hybrid of the two. The world had changed, and so many struggled to cope with the change.

We as teachers had two real options. We could complain and lament our circumstances, refusing to travel to Mordor (so to speak) and do what it took to ensure the success of our team. This option leaves our students struggling in a world that was already difficult to negotiate without these new challenges. The other option is to don our weapons: masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning rags and solution, etc., and charge forth on this journey. This option shows our students that they matter, and that they need not face the world alone. I have seen so many amazing teachers join the fellowship and charge forth into Mordor, ready to do battle against ignorance and fear. Regardless of your political stance and views on policy regarding the world we live in, that is what we as teachers must fight, ignorance and fear.

Our fellowship of the masks must cope with change in policy, sometimes daily (or hourly depending on where you live and individual circumstances). We have to deal with the fact that students, and their parents, don’t always agree with the school’s policies on how to deal with these circumstances. We must cope with all these extra things and still teach students all they need to know, understanding that the past year has left many students struggling to keep up, and in many instances, left them far behind where they would normally be academically &/or socially. With all this, still the fellowship charges on, determined to help our students grow and learn.

Thinking about Gandalf’s advice, I first want to tell each teacher who is reading this, “You can do it.” Each of you has been placed here, “For such a time as this.” Whatever your beliefs on religion, destiny, etc., I believe you are here in this moment because you are meant to be. Gandalf later goes on to tell Frodo, “There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought" (Jackson, 2001). I hope you can be encouraged by the idea that you are right where you are meant to be.

Secondly, I want to challenge you to find the good in each day. My family and I have started keeping a gratitude journal. Each day, we write down something good that happened that day, something that made us feel grateful. This exercise has really helped me see past the stressful moments and focus on the good moments each day. It has greatly improved my personal outlook. While you don’t have to keep a gratitude journal, find some way to focus on the positive, not the negative.

Lastly, remember to take time each day for self care. Take a few minutes to let yourself relax. If that is reading, read a chapter in your book. If it is drawing, sketch something out. If it is prayer or meditation, do so. Take time to just let yourself be for a few minutes. Focus on letting the stress slip away. This is not selfishness. It is just like putting on your own “mask” first on the airplane. You cannot be what your students need if you are so stressed that you cannot function. Just remember, like Frodo you are not on this journey alone. Even when the fellowship split into different groups, Frodo wasn’t alone. The fellowship may have had to work in different areas of the world, but they all had the same end goal: to make the world a better place. Here’s to the Fellowship of the Masks and our journey to make this world a better place.

R., Tolkien. J. R. (1954). The Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the Ring. Ballantine Books, New York

Jackson, P. (Director) New Line Home Entertainment. (2001). The lord of the rings: The fellowship of the ring [DVD].