For many of you, the new school year 2021/2022 has just started or will start soon. Some of you will still be teaching remotely, some a hybrid model, and for many, a complete return to the classroom. With the pandemic still raging, it’s still not clear how this year will play out, but we need to plan for all contingencies. I spent my summer planning, trying to find a nice mix between digital lessons and the hands-on lessons we missed last school year. The kids really missed playing with the integer chips, solving perimeter and area with number tiles, and moving the algebra manipulatives to solve an algebraic equation. But we still need to be careful, social distance, and clean those manipulatives after use!
Best Laid Plans
So much for summer plans! As the mother of a disabled adult son, I’ve relied on his adult care center to keep him safe so that I could work for the past 6 years. Until Covid-19. I taught on Zoom all year (2020/2021). It was not easy, and I had many interruptions from my brain-injured son, (who forgot I was teaching). I fully expected his care center to open back up for business by the time school started this week. Now it looks like they will still be closed for another couple of months. So I am not able to return to my classroom after all. Since there is no more Zoom teaching, I’m planning from afar, leading my sub through all the standards to keep my in-class kids on track. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s to be prepared for all scenarios, ready to switch it up at a moment’s notice.
Are You Ready?
What will you do if things suddenly change again? Are you ready to switch to Zoom or other online program? Do you have digital lessons in place? If you’re teaching remotely, are you ready to go back to the classroom? If parents pull their kids out of school, are you prepared to teach both in-class and online? Last year, the changes hit us suddenly. But we rallied and did what we needed to do. This year we are certainly more prepared!
Looking Forward
The future of school will never look the same as it once did. Focus on what has changed for the better. (Not easy to do if you’ve lost family and friends to Covid. I know.) 18 months ago, I couldn’t make a digital lesson. I tried using Google Classroom sporatically, but was often frustrated. I’d never heard of Zoom or had a clue how to teach students completely online. Now, I’ve become proficient at creating online lessons. I have two online stores where I sell those digital lessons, and I really enjoy watching both stores grow. I’m fully comfortable with Google Classroom now, and know the ins and outs of making it work successfully for my students. And Zoom has almost become a way of life. My son Zooms to play Bingo and take exercise classes. My daughter has weekly Zoom meetings with her clients, and I can now attend Professional Development from the comfort of my home, on Zoom.
Good Luck Teachers as we begin another school year! Remain flexible and again, take it as it comes! We’ve got this!