Week One In The Books

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

And so, schools open amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. So many of you have thoughtfully reached out to me and other teacher friends and relatives to offer your support and encouragement as we started school with students this week. For that, I am more grateful and appreciative than you know.

I would offer this report after a week in the trenches…

I have had to put COVID concerns completely aside, or else it would be paralyzing. It is the ever pervasive elephant in the room. Though, like family gatherings, in order to preserve peace and order we ignore it, and so we have. 

The students have been super good about masks, but they (masks) are definitely a barrier to making connections with the students which is my strong suit. It feels almost like Victorian proper with no real depth of connection. By the end of the first week, students would typically already know Mr. Abell’s room is a safe haven for learning and self expression. What they know about me now is that I often forget to switch to camera two for the wide angle. 

I am exhausted. It truly is like managing two classes at the same time all day. I have the kids sitting in front of me, and the kids at home. I have to be attentive to the needs of both, but also attentive to trying to connect them. And, at the same time I am managing kids, I am managing technology. It’s like being the producer, director, and on-air-talent all at the same time.

If this is the long-term new norm, I see burnout on the horizon for many. In essence, we have taken on a second job at the same time. At some point soon fighting on the front line for a prolonged time will have its say. 

Because I am a tech geek, solving those issues has not been an real issue for me, but for my colleague for whom  technology is a foreign language, they are beyond exhausted and stressed.

NOW…now add the reality of COVID stress back into the mix. That is the silent killer (literally and figuratively) lurking in the background. We just had our first confirmed case, but that person had not yet been in the school physically. Thus far this week, it’s been silent code NOT to talk about COVID. This breaking news changed that in an instant.

There have been some moments of normalcy, but the reality is it feels like we are filming an episode of the Twilight Zone. All the zooming, masks, social distancing marks on the floor just like the grocery.

All-in-all, and all things considered, it’s been a good, positive week. It has made me appreciate the work nurses, clerks, servers, mail carriers, and anyone on the front lines has been doing all along. I’ll end by sharing a quote from a letter I sent home to parents this afternoon…

“The real purpose for this email is to thank the students for their patience, grace, and understanding. THEY HAVE BEEN CHAMPS! I have not heard one complaint about masks. I have not heard one complaint about pitching in to clean their desks. They have been super respectful and advocated for themselves from home when tech issues arose. You should be proud of them. 

And, lastly, also be proud of your NHS administration, staff, and teachers. Assuredly we will all make mistakes, and missteps trying to manage technology, students in front of us, and students at home, but to the person everyone has your children’s best interest at heart.”

‘It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.’

I’ve never been more proud to be a teacher.