Life of the Party

              Holidays will be very different this season. My family has ultimately decided to split up our family gathering into smaller portions at different homes. This is odd because I’m used to having my family under one roof during this town. I wonder if other families are having the same issues?   This is my current teacher face. Teaching from home has taught me that I have more time on my hands and I really need. I have went back to wearing my glasses because staring at the screen all day has been really troubling. I end up with major headaches at the end of each business day and even with my glasses my eyes still ache.

             So, in my house we are counting down the days to Thanksgiving. This year our gatherings will be smaller, but that doesn't matter because at least we still get to enjoy it! Mom and I have decided to open our home to foster care. I'm extremely nervous about this new chapter in my life. Being a parent is something I have always wanted to do but due to unforeseen circumstances I cannot have children. I know a lot of women struggle with this and infertility. I just hope that I’m able to provide a home where kids feel welcome.

      This pandemic has done a lot of things both good and bad for me personally. I have discovered that remote learning is not scary or intimidating. I have bonded closer with my family and friends who are family. This time of year always makes me think about what is important or significant in my life.          I think it’s people we ultimately want to be in larger groups and being our normal communities, But that just isn’t realistic when a virus is spreading through a community. Being at home and working from home has really made me appreciate my work family. I understand that co-employees are there for the same reason I am. Overtime these people become essential to who you are and how you conduct daily business. I think this pandemic has made me establish new routines. Seldomly, I get to return to campus to my classroom to gather materials. It’s almost eerie to walk down my hallway without seeing the smiling faces of my fellow teachers. I hav...

          It’s so strange to me how one student’s comment can really make a defining moment in your life. So I asked my students this week what they were thankful for. One of my students replied that they are thankful for a parent who is becoming a better person. This heartfelt comment really struck a nerve with me as a teacher. My student, even as a child, knows that her Parent is trying everything within their power to be a good parent. And it was in that moment during her statement then I realize that I need to become a better person. I think random acts of kindness, forgiveness, and mutual respect can make being a better person attainable.   

    It's easy to focus on the negative side of remote learning, but there have been successes too!  I still find myself at odds when considering where I stand with remote learning. Students who have social issues are thriving, but that is only a portion of my students.  Here are some ideas to make it engaging:  1. Make funny videos of the lesson 2. Laugh with your students 3. Use lots of videos  4. Involve music 5. Personalize the activities  6. Provide choices  7. Let them share their screens out too!       I still adapting to this world of remote learning and I do not have it figured out. I would love to hear some of your ideas! Feel free to leave a comment! 

      I’m super nervous and excited at the same time. It will be good to see their faces, but not seeing them face to face will be different. I spend a majority of my evening yesterday planning and practicing. Here we  come Google Classroom!   I’ve used it in the past, but never at this scale. 

      I have begun the journey of exploring the materials for level 2. Ummmmm I think this training will be more beneficial for teachers. I can see how this is applicable to teachers. Have any of you completed this yet?  Please reach out to me if you have any input.      This school year holds so many unknowns and getting ahead on remote learning tools could be crucial. I wish fellow teachers would post their ideas and expectations, but that would be a perfect world. 

      I spent days studying for the educator badge via Google. Wasted time always gets on my nerves. Being so goal oriented is my fault, but wasting time on their behalf makes me almost angry. Their online modules for training didn’t actually line up as well as one might think.   I passed the course and got the badge, but now I’m wondering if it was even worth the time. For teachers who are new to the Google classroom and its tools this would be beneficial. Google classroom has been around long enough that educators should be proficient enough without having to go through training.   Vent over! 

      Good afternoon all!  I wanted to update you all about this up coming school year. I’m both excited and nervous to face my students next week. We are doing complete remote learning via Google classroom. This is a new step in my teaching career because I have never taught an online class. To say I feel consumed by the stress is putting it nicely.        I uploading my first video today and died when I heard my southern accent blast through my speakers. Oh the joy of being from the South. :).  

        As a society we face yet another challenge. I do not pretend to know all the answers nor do I even know an immediate answer. I have chosen to log off mainstream social media for a few days to let the storm pass. I cannot condone reading my fellow peer's responses to this tragedy. The small mindset of  the few seem to be over shadowing the overall thought process of the vast majority.        Sitting in the diner listening to locals complain about #BLM really made me angry. As I stated before, I do NOT know all the answers, but opening your eyes should be one. We live in a small sheltered community and many people seem to be living in the past. The progressive era must have missed this slice of "heaven", as many people refer to it.  I gave the old men an evil stare, paid for my food, and silently hoped they would choke!