March 15, 2020
With the rapidly spreading CoVid-19 pandemic, our schools here in North Jersey have been shuttered for at least the next two weeks, with several schools shifting to virtual instruction.
I am extremely fortunate that I work in a district that is technologically advanced and prepared to move classes to a virtual realm. My lessons are prepped and posted for the week, and my virtual office hours start tomorrow. On the surface it appears that I have it all together. In reality, I'm not sure this is the case.
We are navigating unchartered territory. This is historic. No one has any idea how long we will be socially distancing ourselves and teaching from home. And now I'll be simultaneously "teaching" my own two children while trying to juggle the responsibilities I have to my own students.
The plus side? I turned off my 5:30AM alarm for the foreseeable future and don't have to have everyone up and out the door by 7AM. I can dress more comfortably and just have to walk downstairs instead of commuting to work. So far, that's all I've come up with.
My two girls are beyond excited for "mommy school" to start tomorrow. My first grader has already written out her daily schedule and told me I need to learn how to sing so I can teach her music. My pre-schooler is excited to feel like a big girl and have "homework" like her big sister.
This is such a crazy time. My kids are excited. And I'm vacillating between the excitement of making history in education and the petrification that comes with the fear of the unknown.
So I'm trying to play to my strengths - organization and routine. I cleaned up our finished basement to create a dedicated space for learning. I've created a schedule, that much to my daughter's dismay, does not follow her typical schedule. I've set clear expectations for my students and created what I hope to be meaningful lessons. I'm hopeful though that I can create a worthwhile experience for my kids and my students. But can I?
Don't get me wrong. This could be an amazing experience that opens an entirely new door in education. Or not. Either way, it is definitely going to be a learning curve. I'm feeling anxious and unsure, and because of that figured it was the ideal time to start blogging, a goal I've had for quite some time. So welcome!
How is everyone else feeling about all this?
With the rapidly spreading CoVid-19 pandemic, our schools here in North Jersey have been shuttered for at least the next two weeks, with several schools shifting to virtual instruction.
I am extremely fortunate that I work in a district that is technologically advanced and prepared to move classes to a virtual realm. My lessons are prepped and posted for the week, and my virtual office hours start tomorrow. On the surface it appears that I have it all together. In reality, I'm not sure this is the case.
We are navigating unchartered territory. This is historic. No one has any idea how long we will be socially distancing ourselves and teaching from home. And now I'll be simultaneously "teaching" my own two children while trying to juggle the responsibilities I have to my own students.
The plus side? I turned off my 5:30AM alarm for the foreseeable future and don't have to have everyone up and out the door by 7AM. I can dress more comfortably and just have to walk downstairs instead of commuting to work. So far, that's all I've come up with.
My two girls are beyond excited for "mommy school" to start tomorrow. My first grader has already written out her daily schedule and told me I need to learn how to sing so I can teach her music. My pre-schooler is excited to feel like a big girl and have "homework" like her big sister.
This is such a crazy time. My kids are excited. And I'm vacillating between the excitement of making history in education and the petrification that comes with the fear of the unknown.
So I'm trying to play to my strengths - organization and routine. I cleaned up our finished basement to create a dedicated space for learning. I've created a schedule, that much to my daughter's dismay, does not follow her typical schedule. I've set clear expectations for my students and created what I hope to be meaningful lessons. I'm hopeful though that I can create a worthwhile experience for my kids and my students. But can I?
Don't get me wrong. This could be an amazing experience that opens an entirely new door in education. Or not. Either way, it is definitely going to be a learning curve. I'm feeling anxious and unsure, and because of that figured it was the ideal time to start blogging, a goal I've had for quite some time. So welcome!
How is everyone else feeling about all this?
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