New Kensington-Arnold teacher gives peek into challenges of teaching during pandemic

Special education teacher Gina Brestensky wasn’t wearing a hat when she addressed the New Kensington-Arnold School Board, but teachers wear lots of them, she said.

“Just today I’ve been an educator, a leader, a role model. Those are all very important roles, and we know them well,” she said. “But did you also know that today I’ve played the role of a mother, of a doctor or a nurse, of a seamstress, of a chef, of a therapist, of a secretary, of an Apple genius bar worker — although I am no genius with technology.

“There are many more roles that I can’t even think of because it’s so ingrained into what I do each day,” she said. “I have witnessed each and every one of my colleagues play these roles just today and every day — because that’s what being a teacher is.”

Brestensky, a teacher to students in kindergarten through second grade at H.D. Berkey Elementary School in Arnold, spoke to the school board during open public comment toward the end of its meeting Tuesday.

She was the first of four teachers, one from each of the district’s schools, expected to address the board at its meetings through May as the district and its teachers union remain in contract talks.

The last contract between the district and the New Kensington-Arnold Education Association expired last year.

Before Brestensky spoke, board member Terry Schrock, the district’s lead negotiator and spokesman, said he believed the sides were getting close to a settlement. He said there is only a single issue outstanding but did not say what that issue was.

After their last meeting Jan. 10, Schrock said the district’s offer had been put in writing and given to the union for review.

Brestensky did not bring up the contract or negotiations in her remarks, instead focusing on the challenges teachers face and the efforts they make to overcome them.

“Every day we come to school with our own worries and our own problems, and we do our best to check them at the door so that we can provide the best for our students,” she said.

School board President Tim Beckes commented on Brestensky’s presentation Thursday.

“It is important to recognize and appreciate the efforts of the professional staff during this global pandemic and the new challenges it presents to not only our teachers but also our entire staff, including those that provide transportation, maintenance, custodial work, food preparation, administration and critically the students and parents of our district as they try to navigate changes to a typical day in education,” he said.

Brestensky outlined a long list of things teachers wish for — such as enough staffing so she can teach and for the technology to work correctly so she doesn’t waste precious time.

When speaking about the students, she said she hopes they come to school happy, or that she is able to figure out what they need to be happy and successful that day.

She hopes they have all had enough to eat, gotten enough sleep and come to school in warm, dry clothes.

“These are just a few things that I wish for each and every day. Even though most of the days, I get very little or none of these wishes, I am still very proud of my class, my school and my colleagues,” she said. “I am eager to move into new teaching topics and to see the students light up when they understand. I am astounded that my fellow teachers can laugh with me or just give me an eyeroll when I know, and could hear all day, that they had an extremely challenging day.”

Brestensky said the theme at Berkey is, “What do you need, and how can I help.”

“Even though we teachers are striving to fill in the learning gaps resulting from an ongoing pandemic, or we’re trying to soothe the wave of fears and uncertainties in the behaviors of our students, or are trying to educate many more students in our classroom as we try to power through the sub shortage crisis, or just feel like, in general, the peanut butter is spread too thin in our little school on some days, we still wake up every day, we put on our game faces and we do all that we can to model and teach respect, integrity and compassion in our students’ learning, in our students’ behaviors and in our students’ lives,” she said.

Schrock said Brestensky’s presentation showcased how the district’s teachers adjusted during covid.

“I hope that other districts are as accommodating as the New Kensington-Arnold School District in providing its teachers a platform to vent some frustration and begin the healing process,” he said. “Covid is something that has touched every district at every grade level in our country, our state and our nation. The difficulties faced by educators during covid is not confined to the NKASD.”

Teachers from Martin Elementary are scheduled to address the school board at its March 1 meeting.