As I looked at all the comments, memes, and hashtags on New Year's Eve, I saw the worldwide desire for 2020 to end.
I get it. Man, do I get it. I could blog about having to cancel the longed-for trip to Perth to see my daughter, or about the constant concern about my 88-year-old mum in England, 2020.
I could write about the woes of virtual teaching and hybrid schedules. How exhausted I've been, how scary teaching in a pandemic is...
But I’m not going to.
No, I’m going to celebrate the good stuff. Because through the lows came highs, and when I look back in the future, I’ll find plenty of commentary on the negatives, but I don’t want to forget the gifts that 2020 unexpectedly handed me.
Hey! I like my own company!
You ask anyone who thinks they know me, and they will say that I am very social, always want to be in the midst of things, love to talk.....and sometimes that it is true. What isn't always understood is that is my defensive go to. If I'm uncomfortable, I will talk. If there is silence, I will make noise. One thing that was accentuated with the initial lockdown, lack of social endeavors, and then having more virtual classes than face-to-face, is that I like being alone. I actually enjoy my own company. At first that surprised me, then I thought it out. As a kid, I played for hours on my own, that was when my imagination would blossom and ideas would come. Kind of like when you think of things in the shower - noting interrupts the mind and the creativity are allowed through. The pressure to accomplish was gone. The stress of feeling the need to prove myself was taken away. No one was watching. I could be the best I could be for ME and my students - and no one else. No criticisms to hear or tensions to feel.
I guess that I'm more sensitive than I knew.
Virtual teaching is cool 😎
When we went 'online' towards the end of the 19-20 school year, I discovered a new form of pedagogy that I thoroughly enjoyed. I could find needs and support individuals - personalization was so much easier. I wondered how it would be with students I hadn't met though. After all, how do you forge relationships online? I wanted to find out though - I was excited about the possibilities. When given my 20-21 schedule, I was delighted to have 4 online sections as well as my one face-to-face class...but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous.
Fears were increased when I saw the number of students I was to have, and the first two months were quite honestly horrific. Far worse than being a new teacher, the load was immense. Sleep was an optional extra and online devices were my constant partner. The first month of school is always tough - I describe it as our tax season - but this was ridiculous. But then I began to find a rhythm - learned some 'tricks' - found ways to better balance my time. I was still working most weekends and some Varying amounts of time every night, but it wasn't as all-encompassing. All of a sudden I wasn't racing through dinner to get back to work. I knew that I was enjoying elements of teaching virtually, but I begin to really feel that I had found my element. I saw my kids take ownership in the same way I encourage them to do in the classroom. They took roles, shared the load, made choices. It enriched the experience for all of us.
It has been so gratifying to feed their thirst for attention and fun. I can be whoever I want to be online, taking on whichever persona each child needs at that moment - and I have time to plan and think in ways a classroom teacher never can.
- Personalizing is simplified
- Helping students to 'learn how to learn' is actually realized!
- Watching students find independence and not relying on everything being done for them is powerful
- I can focus my time on when I am at my best, organizing accordingly
- It became a simple task to meet with parents and students, and so much less formal than when they make appointments to come to school
- I can give students special attention (positive or not) - without anyone knowing
- Experimentation and having fun with trying new things is a daily adventure
Discovering strengths ✊
I would say that my greatest strengths as a teacher are communication and giving students ownership. Both play right into the hands of virtual teaching. I found that my love of sharing the space with students in the classroom translates into the virtual space too. I quickly developed a help committee, a joke committee - these kids love to be involved with making things better. I enjoy experimenting and trying new things - every day my playground can be more fun! I listen to others, learn, hear new ideas, learn...and try everything I can!
And as for taking the focus away from grades and right onto learning - this is the place for that! "Oh, they won't work without grades and deadlines!" My kids have truly appreciated the opportunity to try, to experiment, to be bold - without fear. It was harder at first because I had to compete with other teachers reporting more grades and with firmer deadlines, but I stayed true to my beliefs and the kids came through. They always do.
A vision of student tech reality - and taking responsibility 🖥
We are always told our students are digital natives. Then we went virtual. I had NO idea how much I had done for my students. I was shocked at their inability to find solutions, stunned at the lack of initiative. Were these REALLY the same kids I had had in my classroom? I made video after video showing them how to share files, how to create hyperlinks, how to make copies, how to copy and paste - things that I always helped with unthinkingly. All of a sudden, missing knowledge was glaring. I realized that I hadn't been helping my students to grow, I had just been helping them to 'get the assignment done.' What an eye-opener. 2020 has helped me to understand how I need to focus more on teaching students how to find answers - that's going to create much better learners, after all. As we finished up the 19-20 school year, my focus was on developing ways to help students START the year learning how to find solutions and how to use basic skills.
Being able to have appointments, eat healthily, and even use the bathroom 😂
As a teacher, it's always hard to live a healthy life. It just is. Classes are back-to-back with no break in between. You can't eat and teach (well, you can, but not if you are truly hands-on). Being able to schedule breaks, make appointments - wow! What a gift. I can have a live meeting with my kids from 6-7pm on a Thursday night and enjoy a fun, relaxed teaching environment. I can make choices that work for me - giving my kids the best of me. There is no doubt that I became healthier - I even lost weight (a lockdown weight loss? Apparently a rare thing!).
The biggest 'aha' of them all was visiting my doctor, who asked me to learn from this and consider options to reduce stress in my life moving forward. I listened. I made changes. I learned.
Taking my puppy to a wedding 🐶
Virtual weddings, family Zoom meetings, watching soccer with friends in England. Opportunities have been created that were never there before - and I hope to goodness they stay. I would assume that wedding photographers have already got price lists out there for virtual options - and you would guess that they will keep them. Brides no longer have to have sleepless nights over those peripheral friends - everyone can share in the special day. With family in far-flung places, I have enjoyed more contact and conversation thanks to renewed effort and options.
And then there are all the curb-side options. Pick up instead of delivery. Drive-up options. This is good stuff! The best drive-through of all though? That was our friends' wedding. We watched it virtually, then popped into the car with our new puppy, drove a few miles, and then got to congratulate them in person, with Toffee-Girl briefly becoming the star of the show (although she did not, of course, eclipse the bride!).
😊Final Thoughts😊
Yes, there have been glitches and headaches. Of course, there have been students who have struggled or refuse to respond to communication. Technology has not always been my friend. Some things are amplified where others are muted. It's been a different teaching world for sure...
I hope to find ways to continue to teach online. Who knows what's out there for me in the future? I have goals and ideas and am ready for new challenges...but I am so grateful to have discovered this new way to share learning with students. Despite the horrors of the year and the terrible reality of the pandemic, I am grateful for having been handed this unexpected opportunity. Now it's up to me to keep learning and continue to make this the best experience I can for my kids - and me!
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