This has not been easy. Like most of you, I am having good days and bad days adjusting to working from home and social distancing. I decided to list some observations or things I have learned over the last few months:
10. WE ARE STRONGER THAN WE KNOW
Man, I was not expecting to experience a global pandemic within my lifetime. I read about these things in history, but this is insanity…surreal. Whether it is just my personal experience, my friends’, or the random strangers on the news, the overwhelming message is resilience. What choice do we have? Choose to keep living life, safely. We can do this!
9. PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR JUST WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST
There has been a lot of disappointment. I had planned a 3-day teacher conference to be held in Orlando this November and I don’t know now if that will be able to happen. I had a trip to Disney World planned during Spring Break 2020 but that was cancelled. The list can go on and on, right? At times, I get a little down and wonder when we can get back to some sense of normalcy. All I know is that when I start to get close to spiraling out of control with anxiety, I hear from someone who tells me something good. They do not even know that I needed to hear it. I just hear what I need to hear when I need it the most. Reach out to people, you never know how badly they need to hear a message from you.
8. EDUCATION IS OVERWHELMING: THERE ARE SO MANY NEEDS AND EVERY STUDENT IS DIFFERENT
So, we already knew this but the recent increase in using virtual platforms and technology has really brought this truth to the surface. Our students have so many varying needs. Teachers see this in the classroom. And, at the very least, you know that when you are in the classroom, you can give just in time instruction. My hope is that maybe everyone in education, from the top down, will start having serious conversations now about ways to address the needs of ALL students.
7. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE; BUT WE CAN’T CONTROL MOST THINGS RIGHT NOW
I added the “right now” because we will gain some sense of control again, but let us be realistic, we have a long road ahead of us. So, let us control what we can. We can control how well we take care of ourselves while working and living home. Right? Take care of you and your students benefit from it. We can control reaching out to our students. If anything, the relationship between you and your student is more important now than ever. If you are overwhelmed, we know that your students are too. Reach out to them. I know they are feeling out of control too. They are off their routine. Their environment has changed. They need you. Focus on that. 😊
6. PHYSICAL CLASSROOMS ARE NOT A THING OF THE PAST
Not everyone has to be successful by going through the traditional methods of schooling. HOWEVER, we can see and feel that the human connections and the energies brewed in a physical classroom hold magic. If that were not the case, we wouldn’t be seeing the car parades in the neighborhoods and at the schools to celebrate graduates and teachers of the year. We crave human connection.
5. CELBRATE OFTEN
As I mentioned above for #6, we are seeing creative celebrations. We need to find joy and celebrate milestones and happy events. Besides just the parades of cars, I have seen yard signs, delivered gift bags, touching video collages, and door decorations. Want an easy way to show joy or create a message of celebration? Go buy sidewalk chalk on-line and start celebrating.
4. FOCUS ON A STANDARD
As teachers, we get attached to our lesson plans especially ones we have been using for years. Now is the time to control what you can control. There is no need to try to supersize your lessons or even use exactly what you would have if you were still in the school building right now. Take this time to look at your lesson plans and determine what is the main standard, the one take away, that you want your students to master.
3. NO MAN OR WOMAN IS AN ISLAND: COLLABORATE
Virtual meeting spaces like Zoom, Skype, or Microsoft Teams have allowed us some sense of collaboration. Do not be afraid to use those applications to meet with colleagues or to visit with family. I know that I always feel better when I have worked with others.
2. LITTLE THINGS MATTER
I have talked about this before. I am going to attach my previous blog that talks about ways we can make or see the little things that matter. Keeping social distancing in mind right now, the little things are mostly wrapped up in the ways we reach out to each other. If you need help or are feeling overwhelmed, please reach out to a colleague or to your school leader.
- SOCIAL DISTANCING DOES NOT MEAN WE REMOVE THE HUMAN CONNECTION
I guess my theme today is human connection. The term social distancing implies that we should be apart, but I would argue that we can still find ways to be close while still maintaining a physical distance. I have been so emotional lately whenever I virtually meet with my family on Zoom or when a parent comes by and stands at the top of my driveway to say some words of thanks for helping their child with their school year. I even participated in a pen pal event where I was randomly matched with someone in the United States to write a letter to during quarantine. The connection, of course, was our love for Disney.
Please stay safe. If you have something you would like to add to this list, please do so in the comment section. We can all learn from each other. If I can be of support to you, let me know.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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