One of my favorite things about working from home is listening to my husband teaching from home.

He sets up in our living room. I, needing more space, get the office. But our house is little, so I can hear him.

But what I hear more are the children. They’re like little birds. They are fourth, fifth and sixth graders, so their voices are still babyish. They probably wouldn’t like that description, but you should hear them ask questions like, “Mr. David, when do I have to have my math homework done?” “Mr. David, I forgot my packet. Can I go get it?”

And Mr. David, who has enormous patience, gently answers their questions, guides them through this strange way of learning and helps them feel like everything is going to be okay.

I’ve never seen Mr. David teach until he went virtual. He is immunocompromised, so teaching from home is necessary. It took some getting used to, but he learned how to engage his students, keep them (mostly) interested and makes sure they are hanging in there okay.

I listened to him talking to a young boy the other day who was having a hard time with learning from home. He was getting a little teary, and he clearly was not happy about that.

“I feel like a little baby,” I heard the boy say. “I am lonely, and I miss my friends.”

And Mr. David quietly told him that he, too, misses people and he wished he could just make the coronavirus go away.

It wasn’t really the magic words that made the boy feel better. It was the magic listening my husband demonstrated.

Teachers teaching from home, teachers teaching in classrooms are just magic people. I know because I live with one, and I see the magic he creates.

It hasn’t been easy for anyone. But I am lucky to be able to work from home and to listen to my magic husband bring a little peace to his kids.