Teaching during CoVid-19: Day 1

Day 1:

I.am.STRUGGLING.

I watched everyone get ready on social media.  I watched the store shelves empty faster than they could be filled.  I watched teacher blogs.  I talked to friends.  I group messaged people.  I shared my "summer learning" plan with my husband so that we could make adjustments to fit our current school shut down, but keep on learning schedule.  He made adjustments and sent it back to me.

Here's where we get teacher-y: Theory vs. Practice.

Theory: There's a "teacher workday" to get any work ready for students to pick up.
Practice: Very few teachers in the building because the union says, if you've already done your work to get ready for students, don't show up.  Teachers already sent packets home last week. (except me, the naive substitute "They said we'd have school!")

Theory: If you can teach 6th grade reading, you can teach 2nd grade reading.
Practice: WHAT IN THE WORLD KIND OF WORD MARKING IS THAT?

Theory: Stay At Home Moms have all day to do the chores and run the errands.
Practice: 8am-3:30pm is the fastest time frame for getting ANYTHING accomplished.

Theory: I can teach my kid while teaching other kids from my kitchen table.
Practice: My kitchen table is filthy, the dishwasher needs emptied, the dryer just buzzed, another *ding* from work email, *ding* family/friends texting because they are all home too, did I eat lunch?, my kid needs help with her reading, *ding* one of my students just emailed me, I start on MY online lessons, *ding* you missed Facebook Live at the Cincinnati Zoo with baby hippo Fiona-CRAP!, laundry! food? my kid! your kid! me?!  Did I go to the bathroom at all today????

So, my conclusion for all who put their kids on those great schedules to continue the learning and keep the routine--Good for you.  It's not working for me.  A routine works great for me if I'm being just one thing at a time: Teacher=class schedule, ring that bell!   Mom=let dad take you outside to play or to the store, go clean your room    Homeschool Mom=Reading 9am-10am, Math 10am-11am "yes, I can help you!"

If I am going to fluidly transition my roles while being out of school, I'm definitely going to need some new tools:

Alexa/Siri/Google Home: assign us chores for the day and remind us to get them done (first thing in the morning is best!)

Take it one assignment at a time: use a task list, not a time of day (if my child takes 30 mins and yours takes 45 mins, the goal of learning is still met.)

DRINK WATER throughout the day.  Exercise when your child has play time.  Enjoy a brain break when it's quiet time, don't keep working.

School's OUT at 3:30pm.  Time to be a MOM! :)

Rumerations after 10 years in middle school...

"What makes a better teacher?" 

The real question is "What makes a teacher better?"  I think those are two different questions.

Test scores?
Open mindedness?
Willingness to put yourself out there to others in all your (not so) glory?
Keeping your head down and eyes on the job?
Relationships-with parents, students, colleagues?
High expectations?

The good teacher?  The best teacher?  The fun teacher?

Finding a balance between work life and personal life.

Doing what you love because you love it, not because you have to <love> it.

Taking the students as they are right now, and guiding them toward their future selves.

Fail Faster, Fail Forward, Fail, Fail, Fail, because you keep trying.  Think Moonshot.

Give more feedback than grades.

Self-reflection. Another piece of mommy wisdom I am trying to impart on my 3 year old when she gets distracted while walking and almost runs into someone/something: "Remember where you've been; always watch where you're going."

Grow your personal learning network (PLN) because it's fun meeting other nerds like you!

Two heads are always better than one--name one successful person who has done it all on his/her own.

Accept the consequences of your actions, or inactions.

Be kind.  Always be kind.