I cannot begin to fully express how the pandemic has shaped education and what we as educators do.....it happened gradually I suppose, so it has taken hold in a subtle way, until it has totally reshaped all we do.......that fateful March when we all went home.....we thought that was hard......learning to teach online overnight.....having never done that before.....but truthfully perhaps that was the easiest part of the pandemic and teaching, if I had to pick a part.......then at my school we transitioned into a hybrid model.......I did so after having taken a 12 week leave for Gabe, in an attempt to minimize risk.....and then teaching online for a couple of months as the numbers soared.....and finally returning to that hybrid model a week after he left.......and my world imploded.....and hybrid felt challenging......two groups of kids Mon Tues ones and Thurs Fri ones......and juggling who had what instruction......juggling online content for the days they were home.......or copying content for when they were home......planning a very delicate dance.......Wednesdays became a day for us to all catch our breath some.....we had trainings and some other professional responsibilities, but were also given some time to plan for that challenging hybrid dance........so as we all stood on the threshold of this year, we thought.......it will be better.......kids will be in school 5 days......it will all be better.......and I am certain there is not an educator in the country that feels this year was better.......this was by far my most challenging year in nearly 20 years of teaching.......the first half of the year was the quarantine dance.....kiddos in and out for 10 days....missing content as they went and popping online to be a part of my class when they could.....but as challenging as that all was there was so much more than that.......so many unexpected things came our way.......as a result of this pandemic......things we didn't see coming, some we did......and it resulted in a mountain to climb each and every day.......I have needed to rally every morning.......clinging to my magical morning routine to bring my best self and head space to my classroom every day to endure.......and it has challenged me each and every day.......I am guessing we don't fully know what next year holds still.........I am also guessing that teaching and school will never feel the way it did before the pandemic........some things about it will remain changed forever.......so it is time to reimagine some things......I have some ideas, some fresh ones, some new ones........some things I have thought may help come September.......some things I want to try.....in the meantime I will bask in this finish line.......and be so very grateful for the time I will have to catch my breath, recharge, and get ready to begin again next year!
jperuso
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