Weirdest extended weekend of 2020

 In a year of uncertainty, this weekend sure took the prize.

Thursday night, we received the phone call about remote instruction. I taught from home on Friday. Many students didn't log in at all to my team. I felt bad. I thought I had prepared them on what to do. It's not me, or my subject, I know that, it's just disheartening in a teaching year that is already disheartening. 

So, while I had a Kim pity party, there were some other monumental things that happened to snap me out of it. 

See, in the grand scheme of things, some 8th graders not logging on to my team was nothing.

55 students and 10 adults have to quarantine. Some of their siblings(which I have) are as well. What a crazy time for them.

Then Sunday we heard of the passing of a current district employee. This has further saddened the entire district and the High School in particular. 

Monday, a music friend of mine(from another district) had a tragedy happen to her. Her husband was severely injured a work. He was taken to ECMC and had surgery to reconstruct his face. 

I had to look hard for joys, but I found them. 

I did meet (socially distanced of course), with some dear friends I hadn't seen in a long time. We all have relatives that have medical issues making them more fragile. It was awesome to meet and talk, and just catch up. 

My friend's husband, is out of surgery, not in a lot of pain, and looks like no injury to the eye. He will have several surgeries to repair other areas, but will make it. 

The family of our Pioneer employee who passed is hurting so bad. So I pray for them. She is gone way too soon, but I know she is in Heaven looking down on all of us. Caring for us, as she did here on earth. 

So, stop, take a look for those joys, and hold on to them like crazy. 

Stop take the time to look at the beautiful Fall colors.

Stop, take the time to listen to the sound of the wind or the birds, or yourself just breathing in and out. 

Stop, take the time to feel the cool air or the sunshine on your face.

Above all, Stop and.......

#Findyourjoy

here we go

 Last night at 8pm, the phone call came. We were moving to full remote for at least tomorrow. 

here is what my mind said

1. Oh man....we knew this could happen, but so soon?

2. I wonder if I've been exposed, I see half the school

3. What period of time, and distance does it take to be exposed?

4. I can do this tomorrow, I'm prepared.

That last statement made it so I could go to sleep last night.

I had prepared for this. I went into the school year knowing this could happen and tried to get me and my students ready in case this happened.

I only see my hybrid students one time per week so I hoped the message was loud and clear what to do and how to do it if this happened. Fingers crossed.

A bit of this does depend on the parents. I provide the instruction and they have to get their student up and make sure they log on to do the work.

I have the instruction on there. I have been working since 7:20am making sure the student who would have seen me in class received instruction. 

I have 8th grade 1st period. I can see when they log in to my team. None of them had logged in at 11am.

This kind of curve ball that has been thrown will only work if we work as a team. I did my job, now I need the parents and students to do their job.  I know it's not easy, but it's not easy for any of us. We need to work together.

No, I didn't sleep in, I had coffee, breakfast, and was at my computer at the time I would have been arriving at school. I took 30 minutes for lunch, and was back at it. 

I will be at my computer until 2:30 when I would log off and leave school. 

However, I will be back on this weekend. Looking for last minute assignments or questions from students who I know had to watch their younger siblings today, or had spotty wi-fi and needed to have their parent drive them to a hotspot to download or upload work. 

I'm hoping we are back on Tuesday, but if not, I'm ready. I've been ready, I will be ready. 

I am  teacher. 

Be kind, show grace, and stay safe.

#Findyourjoy

Balancing Act

 Friday was a ROUGH DAY! The weeks are going quickly at school, but that's a problem. I feel a little.....no a lot behind. Getting assignments up is going well, it's getting the assignments back, grading them, helping kids with problems online, and finally getting them in the grade book. 

It feels like I'm doing three jobs. I'm lucky currently, I have a REALLY good student teacher and she is killing it. I only have her a couple of more weeks and then I'm going to take back things and it'll be more.

That coupled with Mark and his needs and I felt exhausted and totally overwhelmed.  I'm trying to balance this so I don't do school work all weekend. I'd like to be able to not do any schoolwork over the weekend, but it's impossible. Right now at least. 

I also have students contacting me over the weekend. I know they "should" be doing their work during the week when they are home, but there are so many extenuating circumstances for them too. 

Balancing is hard. 

So.... today I rest. Sunday is for rest. 

I'm no good to anyone, if I don't.

So.... I've had coffee, read, sat outside in the sunshine, made lasagna, paid some bills, and going to watch the football game. Everything else can wait. 

I feel a little guilty, but I know I'll be better for it going into the work week.

So, be kind to each other, show some grace. 

#Findyourjoy