This is so hard, you guys.
I know. I see and hear and watch you all. You are working, so, so hard.
I am not sure if we acknowledge this enough. This is insanely hard on, like, 50 different levels. Here is a non-exhaustive list of things that are insane.
It is insane to teach online and in person, whether you are doing it at the same time or alternating class periods.
It is insane to try to gauge kids’ reactions and expressions behind masks.
It is even more insand to try to gauge it with cameras and mics turned off.
It is insane to have kids ghost your class.
It is insane to try to keep naturally-social yourg human beings 6-feet apart.
It is insane to think we have 6 feet space in our classrooms, and to keep them 3 feet apart.
It is insane to try to do this with some kids on computers, some on phones and some on no devices.
It is insane to ban student devices from classrooms like it’s 2019.
It is insand to plan for in-person and online lessons like they’re the same.
It is insane to grade for in-person and online lessons like they’re the same.
It is insane to assess for in-person and online lessons like they’re the same.
It is insane to think you will sleep or see your friends and family again.
It is insane to think that the stress of health and safety doesn’t take a huge toll on you.
It is insane to think that they
This is all so crazy. And I wish it wasn’t. If I could snap my fingers and become a virologist and magically solve Covid, I would.
In a heartbeat. Because this sucks for a lot of people, but you all are the ones I worry about.
So, I have two things for you today. First, huge props and thanks. I know that you’re working your butts off and if you haven’t been thanked profusely lately, please hear my thanks.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU ARE WONDERFUL AND AMAZING AND MAKING A GIANT, HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU MAY NOT BE PERFECT BUT YOU ARE WHAT YOUR KIDS NEED TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
CHEERS TO YOOOUUUUU!!!!!!!!
Second, I don’t have any magic wand, but I do hear a few small tips of what’s working from some colleagues. Maybe some of the ideas might help?
If not, take the thanks and run.
Otherwise, here are the smaller tips and ideas I have been hearing from some of you that seem to be making life slightly easier.
Bond with your kids: Nothing else matters. Most years, you already have that bond “glued” and you have moved on to solid content. This year, between masks, computers, lack of computers, and switching back and forth between computers & face-to-face -- our bonding isn’t quite as strong as it normally is. Keep working on it, and keep being intentional about it and it will make things easier as you go (I promise).
Plan for Online First: I keep hearing this from you guys: it is easier to take an online resource and turn it into an offline resource -- than the other way around. Take the reading offline and make a copy or project it. Don’t take a textbook reading or a paper copy and figure out how to put it on Canvas.
Use The Resources: Your district staff (in secondary SS: Me, Josh, Michelle, Matt, Jess) are working so hard to get every possible resource up on Canvas for you that we possibly can. You are welcome to spend your evenings and weekends searching for and creating your own resources. But if you want some downtime, use our stuff. And if you don’t love our stuff, it’s okay to tell us. We can see what we can find. But we do this, not to mandate stuff, but purely to take some burden off of you.
Use Speedgrader in Canvas: If you haven’t used Speedgrader yet, please do. It is, indeed, speedy. It’s easy to quickly see kids’ work (whether in the text-boxes of an assignment or in an upload) and quick to grade. And then, sync to Focus and you don’t have to do double the work.
And PS - don’t grade too much (but don’t grade too little). Take it easy-but-fair on yourselves and on the kids!
Ask for Help: Back when we used to use Mac computers, someone sent me something NSFW and I spent an entire planning period trying to figure out how to delete it. If I had asked for help, it would have been gone in under a minute, I would have had a new skill and I would have had my time back. ASK FOR HELP. We are all learning here. This is crazy for all of us and someone has figured out something you need to know that they can solve for you quickly. OR -- they didn’t know it was a problem and they can try to solve it, stat.
A reminder. You are amazing. Your kids are learning to love you and you are making a difference. You can handle this by putting one foot in front of the other. You have support when you ask for it. You can do one task at a time. Everyone is struggling (it’s not just you).
This is a pandemic and teachers all over the country are losing their minds. You are not alone. You can make it through tech problems, mask renegades, virtual meetings, schedule changes, Canvas issues, and the Pumpkin Spice Faculty Meeting. (Mmm!). Just hang in there and don’t let it get too bad.
Please know how thankful your kids and parents are (even if they don’t say it. They’re going through some stuff too) and please ask for help when (not if, when) you need it.
Have a great rest of the week. This weather, amirite?
-Tracy
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