When Compliance Crowds Out the Work That Matters
The Virtual Vibe: Success and Sanity for the Online Teacher
September 7, 2026
Yesterday, I walked into a room and saw a teacher crying.
She wasn't crying because she had too much grading to do or because it had been a long week. She was crying because she cares deeply about her students and believes that something she is being asked to do may not be what is best for them.
This is an experienced educator who has spent more than 20 years teaching her subject. Her concern wasn't coming from resistance to change. It was coming from experience. And through tears, she said the words we hear everywhere in education: “This is not what is best for students.”
What struck me most was that she said it anyway. She knew the larger decision had already been made, but she spoke up. She advocated for her students and shared what her experience was telling her. The administrator sitting with us listened graciously, acknowledged her concerns, and explained that there would be room to have conversations about individual students who were truly struggling.
That part matters because the problem isn't always the people in the room. Sometimes it's the system everyone in the room is trying to navigate.
We talk constantly in education about doing what is best for students, but that becomes complicated when the needs of an individual student bump up against accountability measures, acceleration goals, policies, and requirements. Decisions that make perfect sense at the system level can look different when you're sitting across from the actual student who will be affected by them.
Take acceleration. For the right student, it can open doors and provide exactly the challenge they need. But faster doesn't automatically mean better for every student. If a student is moved into more advanced coursework and then requires additional support to be successful, it's worth asking whether acceleration is still serving its intended purpose.
There may be other costs too. A student might lose an elective they were excited about to make room for additional academic support. A student who once felt capable in a subject might begin to believe they simply aren't good at it because they are struggling at a level they weren't ready for.
Those things are much harder to see in a spreadsheet.
And that brings me back to the teacher I saw yesterday.
We call teachers professionals for a reason. They spend their days with students. They see the frustration, confidence, gaps, strengths, motivation, and growth that don't always show up in the data. That doesn't mean teachers are always right or that larger systems don't need consistency and accountability. It means their professional judgment should be part of the conversation.
Listening doesn't mean the teacher always gets her way. It doesn't mean every decision changes because someone disagrees with it. But there is a difference between hearing someone's concern and genuinely considering what their experience might be telling us.
Schools and districts operate within layers of requirements, initiatives, processes, and accountability measures, many of them necessary. But every addition requires something from the people doing the work. When enough gets added, time, attention, energy, and sometimes professional judgment can get squeezed out.
Maybe that's one reason conversations about teacher satisfaction and retention can't focus only on workload. It's also worth talking about agency. People want to know that their experience matters, that their voice carries weight, and that when they raise a legitimate concern, someone will listen.
Because the people closest to the work often see things the system cannot.
And sometimes doing what's best for students begins with listening to the people who know them.
Pause, Ponder, and Progress
Pause: Where might a well-intended decision be creating an unintended consequence?
Ponder: When the people closest to the work raise a concern, are we listening to understand or listening to respond?
Progress: Before implementing the next solution, ask the people who will actually carry it out what they see that you might not.
About the Author
With over 20 years in education - most of them spent in the virtual trenches - Desire’ Mosser has done more than survive online teaching; she’s helped others thrive in it! As the author of SOS: Strategies for Online Survival, she dishes out practical tools, honest lessons, and just the right amount of humor to keep educators going.
Former Pasco eSchool Teacher of the Year and Florida Virtual Schools Mentor of the Year, she continues to champion excellence in virtual learning today. She currently serves as President of B.O.L.D. (Blended Online Learning Discovery of Florida). Her passion? Coaching educators to find their stride, build meaningful connections with students and families, and master the art of scheduling for sanity—preferably with a strong cup of coffee in hand. For more real talk, useful tips, and the occasional caffeine-fueled confession, connect with her on LinkedIn.
