Life gets busy. Sometimes in the busy sitting down and giving my attention reading takes a back seat to putting on a podcast while I do all the other things.
The school year we couldn’t have imagined is ending or ended.
I went on a date with my husband and ate in a restaurant without a mask for the first time in 16 months.
There are still things to worry about (aren’t there always? at least for those of us inclined to worry) but I am letting out a sigh of relief, and starting to look forward again, and feeling, for the first time in months, like I have the bandwidth to write.
But first, other people writing, about other people who made it…
The election is done. There’s a vaccine on the horizon. Holidays are coming, and then a new year. It’s dark outside, but I’m feeling a little more hopeful, and have a little more bandwidth to take in media again. Here’s a bit of what I’m finding…
How to create a self-paced classroom (Cult of Pedagogy Podcast) << If I were to take on one big classroom revolution, this might be it. (Not this year, but someday)
How to enjoy studying (Pocket) << I kind of object to the premise that studying isn’t already enjoyable. But that’s me. I’m still interested in tips to help my students engage.
This year, I thought, I want to *actually* remember this. Not just now in the shiny, exciting start of the term, but later. Like say, the week before winter break when it’s always dark out and everyone is tired and very ready for break and there is So. Much. To. Do.
So September-me scanned my students’ notes, and to say I wrote myself an email would be exaggerating. I typed in my own email address, attached one inspiring note’s scan, and hit “schedule send” for a random Monday some time in the future.
And now, on random Mondays. I get sweet notes from my students full of hope and goals and fresh September energy.
The rest of my inbox is still the rest of my inbox. But, I read them, and remember the shiny new year feeling, and feel much better about email than I do on most random Mondays.
And then, I hit ‘reply’ and schedule send it back to myself for another boost on some future random Monday.
We’re beginning what is likely the strangest back to school of our teaching careers. … And the internets are full (sometimes overflowing) with suggestions for managing it all.
A few links that made it through my mental filters:
Pandemics. Living through a pandemic. Teaching in the middle of a pandemic. Learning while living through a pandemic.
Let’s just acknowledge: this is hard.
Actually, it’s many different kinds of hard.
But the kind of hard I’m thinking about today is how it makes it hard to plan, but also, how much planning helps all the other hard things.
I’m back to remote teaching this month.
My students’ tech access is limited, and demands on everyone’s time are high, and I have a well-honed set of routines and teaching tools that are not all going to transfer, and it’s hard to let go of things I’ve worked to create.
But, we’re all making the best of it.
As teachers, we’re making new plans, discovering new tools, crafting new routines, finding new ways to support our students.
It’s helping me figure out a curriculum and new tools and design video conferencing classes.
It’ll help my students, as they figure out video conference classes and asynchronous work, and their kids’ video conferences or hybrid schedules or strange new in-person school routines.
And then we make a new plan for when vacations happen, or big exams approach, or something else changes.
Planning doesn’t solve everything. Some students never consistently make homework work. Some weeks, even for the most dedicated student, other things take priority. But, it helps.
So, in between all the new plans I’m making for this new year, I’m planning to keep our homework planning.
What to write in these strange times? On the one hand, we’re settling into something like a new normal of remote work / social distancing / online learning. On the other, it’s more strange and stressful than ‘normal’.
I’m glad we’re having these conversations. (We need to have more of them. )
And, as I am thinking about helping my students learn remotely, I am wishing we were talking more about the ability to learn (largely) independently.
Online learning takes screens and wifi, and it takes being able to focus (especially when all of the kids are home and everyone is stuck inside) and it takes being able to make choices and plan your time (when all the schedules have been altered) and pace yourself; and to motivate yourself (when you’re also worried about the news and your job and your kids). It takes being able to persevere when it gets hard and there’s no one around to ask for help.
I’ll be honest: I’m dealing with moments of worry, and frustration, and discouragement, and worry (again) for my students and our attempts at distance learning.
But, I’m also taking it as a lesson: this matters.
I’ve always thought independent learning would matter for homework, or for college, but we are learning that it also matters for our resilience and flexibility in the face of the completely unexpected.
I don’t have all the answers, but I spent some time adapting the tools I do have to online learning. I hope they help you and your students navigate this transition, and learn, and grow, and maybe emerge a little stronger on the other side.
Distance Learning Resources
Brain based Learning: Teaching our students the research on how to learn/study effectively
For at least the next couple of weeks (and for at least the rest of the semester for some of my classes) we’re figuring out distance learning. My inbox is full of tips and resources. It’s a little daunting. These are a few I’m actually bookmarking.
National Emergency Library (Because I love that this is a thing, and I’m sad that I didn’t get to my public library for a stack of paper books)
Panic-gogy (because, lets be real, it where a lot of us are)
Virtual Museum Tours (because, educational and uplifting, and we could use that)
Pre-COVID, I collected these links. They’re good. Although I feel out of sync with every other feed, sharing them now.
But, while we’re practicing social distancing, I’m largely practicing news and social media distancing. My mental health is better without taking in too much of everyone else’s (understandable, totally reasonable, messingwithmyheadanyways) worry.
Tthere are undoubtedly many informative, relevant links about digital learning, and viral progress. I also need to remember that there is life beyond the pandemic, so enjoy.
