With Grace

Tales of the first week of school. Here are some things I saw and heard of from the first week of school 

• Hand sanitizer everywhere

• Kids (in-person) forgetting how to be around other kids

• Teachers adapting

• Kids who literally don’t see another live human being all day

• Kids not getting “let in” to a class all period. *Bonus craziness if it was during block schedule. 

• Some kids and teachers glad to be home and safe.

• Some teachers crying. 

• Some technology failing. 

• Great cleanliness processes 

• Younger kids melting down and having nightmares.

• Older kids being weirdly sweet and nice to their families. 

• Classrooms shut down due to Covid. 

• Schools not letting children bring school-issued computers to class (yes, really!)

• Plexiglass.

• Super-cute face masks.

• Teachers ghosting their jobs. 

• Canvas confusion

• A lot of Tech-Help tickets

• Creative teacher geniusness 

• Kids glad to see other kids 

• Everyone trying to figure out the “new normal” so we can get into routine. 

This “Home Learning Dome” below is a joke. It’s, sadly, not a real thing, otherwise, I would have put two on my credit card. But I wish it was real...

Y’all.Y’ALL!

I know we had to do a hard shift in the spring. And this is a whole ’nother giant adjustment. 

So this week, all I can ask you for is this. 

Grace. 

I ask that you give yourself and others around you grace. 

By grace, I mean goodwill, understanding, and kindness. 

This is not a normal year. So don’t treat it as one. Not at this point, anyway.

• Sure you normally start giving homework -- and grading it -- the second week of school. Show a little grace. Maybe wait another week. Or extend the due dates. 

• Sure, you normally have a certain set of expectations . It’s not “lowering expectations”. It’s giving a little grace when it takes the kids a little longer to learn those expectations. 

• I know you are a perfectionist and you expect yourself to have amazing lessons. But Canvas is new and it's hard to tell what’s going on behind the kids’ masks. And you have to sleep sometimes... Give YOURSELF a little grace. Let it go. Not every lesson can be an A+. It’s okay if this one is only a B. 

• Your administrator set up this wild schedule and it’s not what you wanted. It’s messy and hard to pull off. Show a little grace. They’re doing the best they can, too. 

• The parents are emailing you all the time, even sticking their faces into the screen to see what’s going on. Of course it makes you anxious. It’s so weird! They’re anxious, too. They’re worried if they made the right choice (about online or face to face learning). They’re worried about their kid. They’re trying to be involved (which they know they’re supposed to do). Give the parents a little grace.

• The kids at home have their cameras off.  It’s so hard to teach to a set of initials instead of to a face. But there are a million reasons why you can’t see those beautiful faces, starting with lack of cameras, moving to adolescent embarrassment about peers, and ending with home lives they don’t want others to see. Show grace and allow cameras to be off (although you might do a one-on-one conference with cameras on in the coming weeks and let the kid use a fun background, just so you can get to know their face).

• Your awesome lesson bombed because of technical difficulties. You worked so hard and the internet went down or the computer froze or Canvas acted up. You deserve grace too. S--- happens and you are still a wonderful teacher even when technology doesn’t cooperate. Take a breath. It’ll be okay. 

The only people you do not have to show grace to are the ones who use their anxiety to attack you in some way. If their anxiety turns into blame, bullying, unsafe behavior, or manipulation, then you do not have to show grace in that moment. You can walk away. But you can show grace. It feels good.  

But generally, we are all trying our best right now. Parents, students, staff, administrators, and teachers. We all want what’s best for our kids, with what we have to work with. 

Give yourself and others grace. Assume good intentions. Show understanding and give kindness. 

We will get through these first few weeks and we will figure out how to do this. It will get easier. And someday we will look back and tell people “I taught during the pandemic” and they will say “Holy crap! How did you do that?”

And you will say “We did it with grace” 

Have a better week than last week. 

Let me/us know how we can help. 

-Tracy

Pop Tart Habits

 

What were your bad habits during our long quarantine time? 

I had a late-night impulse buy of Pop Tarts once in April or May that I could not take back. Once Pop-Tarts entered our house, they became part of the family and we loved them and adopted them. 

I know they’re crap for nutrition. But tasty, tasty crap. Mmmmmm... 

So, two days into Weird Pandemic Teaching already? It’s definitely getting better, but still messy, I think, huh? 

Before you go any further into this school year, do yourself and your kids and families a favor. 

Ask them how it’s going. NOW. Before you get into any bad habits. Or before the kids get into bad habits. Or before things just... happen... in an unintentional way...

I know it’s harder than ever before to gauge how things are going. Some kids are at home. Some of THOSE kids have cameras on and some don’t. Some of your kids are in your classroom. Those kids have masks on, making it harder to read their faces than usual. 

Plus it doesn’t help that we are spending half our days troubleshooting our tech and not spending as much time really bonding with our students as usual. 

So, do yourself and your kids and families a favor. 

Ask them how it’s going. 

And then, read their answers and adapt your class if and in ways that you can. 

Now, quick -- before you pick up a ridiculous Pop-Tart habit (or worse, a weird new teaching/learning/management habit) that you don’t want to have to unlearn.  (Poptarts, I dread quitting you!)

I made you some survey questions you can ask. You can put them in Canvas or in Teams or on the board or in a Word Doc. Have kids answer in Forms or in Canvas or on a notecard. I know there’s so much variation with how you’re doing all this. 

But here’s one template you can use in Canvas. (you can also search in Canvas for “Newman” and “survey”). You can copy it into your course (it’s an assignment) and then you can see how this is going for your kids. 

I get it. It’s hard to see how kids are through a computer, with some cameras on and some off while you’re teaching live with masks on to make face-reading harder, too. It’s a lot. So, instead of guessing or waiting for eight million questions -- ask the kids right up front. It might help! 

Don’t wait for bad habits to form. Nip those bad habits in the bud and find out what’s happening now.  Before your whole family (I mean class) is addicted to pop tarts) Full survey link  https://lor.instructure.com/resources/59d61d3e45944bef8fa12296313f3cd1?shared  

And as always, let me know how it’s going. I want to hear. The good, the bad, and the crazy. Let me know! 

-Tracy

Be Seen, Be Heard

 We have been through some STUFF in the past few months, haven’t we? Even if we have done nothing but sit at home and watch Netflix for 6 months -- that is still the definition of going through something. We have run dangerously low on toilet paper. We have struggled to figure out in April & May if masks are useful (hint: they really are) and how to best wear them and not be uncomfortable. We have watched as our neighbors broke quarantine earlier or later than we did -- or not at all. We have missed hugging our friends and family. We have watched our friends and family lose jobs and businesses and income. We have watched people struggle with loneliness. We have held our breath every time someone coughed. Or every time we didn’t feel quite right. 

And then we all watched George Floyd be killed on camera and we held our breath then, too before we cried or yelled in anger and stared in disbelief. And maybe started or continued or re-started reading and learning more about the history and current state of racism in our country. 

Our kids have been through some STUFF, too. They have been lonely -- or not. They have been hungry -- or not. They have had their summers disrupted -- or not. They have had powerful conversations about racism -- or not. They have been worried and have maybe had someone they knew or cared about who has gotten sick or maybe even possibly died -- or maybe it has all been a hoax in their family.

And the difference between kids and adults is that kids have been through a lot of what we have --  but with less control over their lives. They can’t control the TV channels that are on in their houses sometimes. Many of them can’t go apply for a job. They don’t get to determine curfews or living situations or what topics are acceptable or not in their home. They don’t determine the level of Covid-caution in their home (although some kids may rebel). 

And our kids who are learning at home can’t help be lonely. Some are all alone, all day. Some are learning at home quietly while a parent works from home. Some are with a grandparent or neighbor. Some are supervising a younger sibling or cousin. 

But they're not with their friends and peers. 

And our kids in the classroom are going to have a very different experience than they did last year. A masked, socially-distant year with virtual clubs and limited everything (but lots of cleaning!) is not normal. 

So I know you’re doing 100 things at once. You’re trying to figure out simultaneous teaching while you figure out socially distanced collaboration while you figure out sanitizing while you figure out Canvas.... It’s a hot mess and you have more on your plate than ever before. 

I’m sorry you’re in this position and if my Fairy Godmother skills were worth a darn, I would have fixed it for you. I wish I could

But just a reminder to do one not-so-simple-thing that’s really simple. 

See and hear and know every kid. Even the ones not in your room. 

Remember that every kid (and adult) needs to see and be seen, to hear and be heard, to know and be known. They need to really be a part of a community (much, much more than they need assignments and grades and pretty Canvas pages. 

Just like my own kids tried to Zoom-bomb every Teams call I’ve been on from home for the past 6 months, (uh, sorry ‘bout that)  every at-home kid has a deep need to see and be seen, to know and be known. (even when their cameras are off bc they’re embarrassed about their house/room/face/clothes/family members)

And even our in-person kids won’t be seen as usual with their masks on. It makes us all a little more anonymous and a little less seen.

It’s going to be so, so hard while virtual teaching or even harder while simultaneous teaching, but it’s not impossible. 

Here’s a few ideas. 

• Ask kids to turn on their cameras when they can/are comfortable.

• Ask kids to use Flipgrid from home to answer questions or to reflect

• Have kids turn in assignments that include more reflections than usual. 

• Ask a (talkative) student in the classroom to monitor the chat on their computer (or yours, if necessary) and be the voice for online kids

• Try to use Teams Channels for online students to have discussions (your live students can have socially distanced small group discussions or whole-class discussions or can can respond in writing on white boards)

• Use Nearpod! Live kids can see it on your smartboard or screen until the new laptops come in and at-home kids can use it on their own devices. It’s super easy!

• Use surveys and polls like “polling everywhere” (or on Nearpod) for kids to be heard

• Use online games (like Kahoots, Quizzes, Socrative, etc) that everyone can participate in

• Message your students in Canvas frequently (especially the online students)

I know that you are frantically scrambling. I also know that come Monday, you will be amazing. You always are. 

We have been through some stuff and so have our kids. Make sure that they are seen, heard, and known. Ask for help if you need it. 

Remember, we (your district SS team) are here to help in any way we can. Please hit us up any time you need us! 

It’s all crazy, but you are amazing and you have support. 

We can get through this STUFF together! 

-Tracy

Welcome Back and Adjust Expectations

 

 Welcome Back, my friends and colleagues, 

I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL SO, SO MUCH!!!!

I am so glad that you are back, whether you are back to traditional classrooms, virtual classrooms, some of each, or blended classes. 

Welcome to what is going to be the weirdest year on record! It “otter” be a wild year!

This is my 20th year in teaching. I was in teaching during 9/11, Hurricane Irma, the year of the 5 hurricanes, the year our school got a new building, the year of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas shootings, the year we didn’t know the results of the presidential election for weeks, and even the year Swine Flu (or was it SARS?) taught my middle schoolers to fling hand sanitizer on each other and snap the elastic of masks at each other.

Nothing could have prepared us for this. 

Whether you are at peace with the school year now, whether you are not that worried, or whether you are crying into your adult beverage nightly, here we are. 

The world has changed so much since you left your classroom. 

There are 4 major events that have occurred. They may not all have been major to you. But be aware that it’s pretty likely that at least one has been major to the kids in your class and the colleagues in your building -- and different events have hit differently to different people. 

1. Coronavirus -- of course, the ‘Rona is the most obvious event. The global pandemic is a big deal. 17,000 Pinellas County residents have tested positive. 500 have died. Hundreds have been hospitalized. This has been big and scary and traumatic for us and for the kids. You and they likely know someone who has had the virus, maybe someone who has been really sick or someone who has died. 

2. Economy -- As of this week, in Pinellas County, nearly 150,000 (16% of the population) is identified as “food insecure”, meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Families that have never needed food banks or financial help before may need it now. Maybe that’s your family or your neighbors. It’s definitely some of our students. Small businesses & folks in hospitality have been hit especially hard. This happened fast and it hit families hard. 

3. Loneliness -- A lot of us or our kids have quarantined and limited our interactions a lot. We have not gone to Disney or to bars (us) or to camps (them) or travelled or to many other places. We have been lonely. This has affected people differently, but know that people (kids and adults) are fragile. Things we could have handled with ease last year will be tough this year. Some kids literally haven’t seen another kid in 6 months.Others have been to day camps or have spent plenty of time with friends. There’s so much variety, but virtual interactions are not the same as in-person and it shows. 

4. Racial Reckoning -- With the violent death of George Floyd seen by all of us, America’s anti racism movement went mainstream. Kids who, before, felt that nobody heard their cries of racism -- suddenly felt that a lot of somebodies heard, and felt empowered. Americans of all races, ages, and socioeconomic groups took (and are still taking) to the streets in mostly peaceful protests.... And then there are students coming from households that are pushing against this movement, households where racism is still acceptable (or where it is an invisible topic and thus racism is still acceptable that way)

Whew, friends! That’s a lot to work through. 

Things are going to be different. 

So, so different. 

Today, I’d like you to let them. 

Let them be different. Adjust your expectations.

The only way to a) be safe and b) keep your sanity is to NOT expect things to look like normal. We’re going to have to adjust our expectations. 

• Your classroom can’t look like it usually does

• Your teaching style can’t look like it usually does

• Your supply requests can’t look like it usually does

• The kids are deeply affected by some (all?) of the above Big 4 events. They won’t act like they usually do. 

• You can’t see each others’ faces like you usually do. 

• You can’t do the same classroom culture building you usually do. 

• You can’t pass out supplies and handouts like you usually do.

• Kids can’t even walk down the halls like they usually do.

EVERYTHING. WILL. BE. DIFFERENT. 

(or at least everything is “on the table” for being different). 

Our wedding anniversary was last week. LAST YEAR for our wedding anniversary, my husband and I went to the Bahamas. So, uhhh... we had to have different expectations this year. The pandemic changes everything. Instead, our kids (both in elementary school) threw us an “anniversary party” (for just the 4 of us) with some decorations we picked up from the order-and-drive-up at Target, some art they made, and some Thai food take-out. They even used streamers across the dining room and made us have a ribbon cutting ceremony. 

I will never forget this anniversary. It cost next-to-nothing, had no travel, no date night, and not even a babysitter to get away from the kids. But it was meaningful and lovely and sweet.

In a pandemic, we have to adjust our expectations. And out of new expectations can come different beautiful things. 

We humans can adapt to anything. You, my colleagues, showed us this in the spring, showed us all how amazingly adaptable you are. I was constantly amazed and awed by you all. 

So here are my two pieces of advice for you as we start this school year. Maybe they’re my wishes for you, like little blessings. 

1. I wish for you to be adaptable and flexible. Put away your expectations of certain types of

2. collaboration and specific notebooks you like and favorite classroom procedures that won’t work in the new normal. Try something new. And if that doesn’t work, try something else. And if that doesn't work, try something else. Don’t stick to your Old Ways because they’re habits. It’s time to form some new habits. Adjust your expectations. 

3. Take extra-good care of yourself. The best parenting advice I ever got holds just as true for the classroom. As every airline safety video says, put your own oxygen mask on before that of your children. You have to be so, so aware of your own mental health this year, now, more than ever. Be aware of your signs of stress and signs of being overwhelmed. And step back and care for yourself. You can’t care for your kids if you aren’t caring for yourself.

I know you all. You will teach through a freaking pandemic and be rockstars. You will find safe ways of making meaningful connections with kids through masks and through computers and through plexiglass and through all the chaos to come. 

But we have to adjust our expectations before we can create new ways of doing things. 

I wish you flexibility and self-care. Those tools will serve you well in this wild year. Don’t forget we are all in this together. 

I hope to see you all (virtually) at DWT or elsewhere soon! Stay safe! 

-Tracy

  

Pivot Into the Unknown

Every summer, I end the school year with a final Wednesday Summer Reading List for teachers. You know, a way to kick back and spend time getting around to that stuff you don’t have time or brain power for during the school year.

This year? 

I’m not sure if my brain power will ever come back!

So, if your summer is filled with summer house projects and workouts and actual PLANS and you don’t have time for reading .. good for you! 

But before I do, I want to say thank you. And if I wasn’t paid the same amount you were, I’d buy you all a beverage. 

Thank you! 

This has been the craziest, weirdest, hardest 4th quarter in memory. 

You have gone from the Before Times where we hugged kids and taught in classrooms and had extracurriculars and put on regular clothes and drove our vehicles from our homes to our schools and heard bells ring to tell us when class was over. 

To the Now Times when we sit on our couches all day in PJ pants and never see kids at all and do everything virtually and kids turn in work at 3 am and disappear completely and meet virtually and turn in blank worksheets or else do a week’s worth of work in a day. Where we have video call meetings where we all turn off our cameras and where we use Teams AND Focus AND email to get work turned in. 

You have done a GIANT shift in your teaching and you are amazing. I know you have to bob and weave all the time. It’s what teachers do.

But this was above and beyond the usual. This was huge and wild and different. 

Thank you for your giant shift -- your “pivot” in teaching during this crazy time. 

And now, on with the booklist. 

1. Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman. This book looks pretty cool. It’s based on the idea that humans are hardwired for kindness, cooperation, and trust. In our current political climate, I could really use a book like this. It doesn't come out until next week, but I am looking forward to it.
2.  The Great Influenza by John M. Barry. It’ll be interesting to read about the Great Influenza epidemic of 100 years ago that killed millions while people have been making both accurate and inaccurate comparisons to it. 
3. Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond. This book brings together CRT and neuroscience to bring a “hard science” angle to what equity champions and CRT practitioners already know: that CRT can change everything, literally including the brain of you and your students.*Look for the Equity Department's book study on this in the fall! 
4. Hitting a Straight Lick with A Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurston. Nothing like a “new” book by one of your favorite (long deceased) authors to get you (um, me) all ready to sit in the hammock and read! Ms. Hurston was a master storyteller and an anthropologist, so these long forgotten stories are bound to be great. I already bought it but haven’t gotten to it yet! 
5. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women  by Kate Moore. This book about the “girls” and young women who worked in factories making radium dials and (spoiler alert) got sick in the early 20th century looks fascinating. And looks like something I don’t know much about. And that’s always my kind of history! 
6. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein. I have seen these maps but I have never read the actual book. Supposed to be amazing. As someone who lives in Pinellas County, where we could probably draw these maps ourselves based on who lives where. These are things we sort of know “a little something about”, but not exactly everything this book will teach. I can’t wait to learn. 
7. Balance with Blended Learning by Caitlin R. Tucker. I think we have all learned this quarter what DOES work about digital learning, what the benefits ARE. Well, how can we keep those with us when (IhopeIhopeIhope) we are in the brick and mortar classroom in the fall? Maybe this book has some ideas that we can use to blend the good parts of the digital with the good parts of the traditional classroom. I’m intrigued. 

What are you reading this summer? Anything other than the news? I can’t wait to hear all about it! Please share with me! I will be around and I will check my email. I’d love to chat about one of these books (or another one)! 

And again, thank you for your “pivot” and for being amazing all the time -- but even more amazing for your flexibility and adaptability in this time of Crisis Learning. I am so thankful for you! 

Have a great summer. Stay safe and well! 

-Tracy