Emily Yamasaki 12/14/2020

Emily Yamasaki, from San Diego, California, has been teaching for nine years in a charter school. Mrs. Yamasaki shares that she was on maternity leave when the COVID-19 pandemic started. She expresses how she felt that she abandoned her colleagues and experienced feelings of guiltiness. The April Poetry month assisted as a platform where she could express all her feelings and concerns. She mentions how stress impacted her being in a postpartum stage. Her poems address the challenges that her colleagues were facing. In addition, Emily reflects on the hard work that the front-line workers have done and what they have been through by writing a poem as a tribute to her sister, who is a doctor. She also acknowledges the struggles of the families who are part of the medical field. Mrs. Yamasaki shares how teachers had to mobilize to assist families who did not have technology. She is looking forward to seeing how the teacher-parent relationship improves and how being heartful and open-minded can be helpful in times of chaos.