Week 3 of "social distancing"

Week 3 of "social distancing"

Last week allowed me to get in enough of a groove that when we were given the news that Georgia public schools will remain closed through April 24, I wasn't a complete utter mess.  I will also put out there I am doing a really good job of shoving most of my emotions down pretty deep so I can continue moving in a forward motion.

In my professional world I am in a "good" place.  I am calling it good as in I feel like I have a handle on writing Google Classroom directions, which have to be so detailed they can be executed by an 8 year old substitute who has never substituted before.  And believe it or not some days I still don't give enough details.  But I think I have figured out how to structure each day so my students don't have too much independent practice, or too much "live" Google Meet sessions, which is where I deliver our new content, or too much busy work which I know I could never find the time to actually grade.  I have found a sweet spot I think.  I am just now starting to get to giving feedback on turned in assignments which is honestly what I have found I miss the most.  Now that we have been digital learning for a couple weeks I am realizing I think my favorite part of teaching is supporting the students to get to be independent, then allowing them to be independent, and then giving the real time feedback.  It is at that point in the teaching game I think the students grow.  They see their hard work pay off, they see where they made mistakes, and they can change and hopefully learn for the next time they get to do it on their own. That feedback part is so hard to make happen in this "digital learning" setting.  But I am working on it, and I guess even a little bit of feedback is better than no feedback. 

My heart truly feels so great when we are all "meeting" together.  "Seeing" them is a great part of my day.  We are learning so much more about each other's home lives. I get to "see" siblings, parents, homes, living rooms, offices, bedrooms, pets, and have heard many "talking to" when the mic wasn't on mute.  On the other side my students know what my basement looks like in my house, my cat Simon shows up for most meetings wrapping himself around my neck, they know what my dog Lola's bark sounds like, and they actually ask where Cade and Ellee are if they haven't made an appearance.  It is a whole new way of a get-to-know-you.

In my personal life it all seems a little more bleak.  We have just had a string of bad news.  It is hard finding something to look forward to, and when you are in a deployment looking forward to something is one of the big ways of coping.  We just last minute canceled our spring break trip to Florida. I kept holding out hope that there would be a wide spread test, that it would get better, that something big would happen and we would all be let out of "shelter and place".  I kept dragging my feet, not wanting to face the decision, so Jacob made the decision for us.  It was a no go for a lot of reasons.  I just couldn't make myself make the hard decision.  But it has been made.  We will stay in Atlanta for spring break. 

Speaking of Jacob, not so great news came from that front too.  I am sure you can all put together the sentences that I can't type in this space as you see the headlines of travel bans and quarantines.  My heart has broken a few separate time this past week.

And my real kids.  It is so hard always saying No.  Most know in real life I am not the "no" mom. Most of the time (except for eating  too much sugars and screen time) I am all for trying to make happen what my kids come up with.  I have found myself saying No so much in the last two weeks.  And it is so hard.  No, you can't go outside when _____ is out.  No, you can ask ___ over to the house.  No, we can't paint right now, I have to teach class.  No, we can't go to Florida.  No, daddy won't be home then.  No, we can't go to the park.  No. No. No.

But you know what.  I've got some really awesome kids.  They are taking this all in stride.  I should honestly be taking lessons.  With every no Cade tries to understand the reason why, and he always comes up with, well when the Corona is gone we can do it.  And he is right.  When this is all done and over we will be able to get back to life as we knew it.  And I sure hope daddy will get to join us at some point too.

And to end this post... what about that Tiger King?!?!