Well here we are.
Fall 2020.
We are officially homeschooling.
By we, I mean me, since Hubs is tethered to his laptop for work He will help when he can with studying Spelling words and Math homework.
The girl is excited and ready to learn. She promises to work hard. (I hope it lasts when she meets the REAL teacher side of me.) I’m feeling like I can do this; I must, so I will. The only thing I’m unsure about is, will I have enough time, to do all the other things that were are already a lot when she was in school full-time?
Second grade was my most favorite grade to teach. The curriculum is doable which gives you a chance to get the kids caught up or ahead. The snaggy teeth lisps and willingness to help make second graders a fun crew. Motivated by praise and stickers, out of the box activities, and being right- second graders are straight shooters. The girl is definitely on target for fun year of second grade learning.
Watch this video to see how we really feel about this new homeschool adventure!
I’ve got my mind right! God has blessed us a plenty- for me to be in a position to homeschool and have the education to be able to do so. I am so very grateful for this blessing. Though the Mommy mental load and physical loads have been heavy, I constantly remind myself that this is a blessing. I could complain but I know somebody else has it worse.
Meanwhile, the world outside our little cr8joi homeschool bubble is just a hot mess.
The decisions that families and schools have had to make in the wake of Covid are just plain unfair.
Some school plans are just flat out ridiculous! The level of empathy I have for parents and school staff is equal to my anxiety about the situation.
There’s nothing normal about school in 2020. Everybody is just doing the best they can with the resources they have. That alone is the crux of the problem- the resources are not the same! Before Covid, schools didn’t have the same resources available to them. You throw in a pandemic, PPE (personal protective equipment) and few old janky computers to serve an entire community and it gets ugly really fast.
Teachers: Who’s doing all this cleaning? With what? And when? Where will all these masks come from? Oh yeah- it’s school not a babysitting/cleaning service . . . What are we teaching now that we can’t be normal and talk and share in close proximity? What are we teaching again besides mask up and social distancing? When and if I get sick do I have to leave Sub plans? Wait, do we have substitutes? Will I have to work if I am quarantined? Better yet, does our insurance cover covid testing? If I die, do my kids get my pension? How does that work? Is it too late to take a leave of absence? I have a baby at home. I take care of my sickly senior parents. I am immune-compromised. Do I have any say in keeping my job if I don’t feel safe returning to the classroom? Do I have a choice in teaching in person or virtually? My teaching neighbor keeps coming in my room without a mask on? I have 10 students without masks and a student with severe asthma who keeps coughing . . . what’s the protocol again? Who’s taking the children’s temperature? I don’t have enough space in my room to keep each child six feet away all day, are you changing my room? Are we still taking the standardized tests this Fall? Will I get a poor evaluation and potentially lose my job if the children who haven’t been in school don’t perform well? So how am I supposed to host a virtual class with no computer, no camera, no online curriculum, and no training?
Parents: I love my children but I cannot teach them. It’s not my ministry so we are doing virtual school. I would try to teach my own kids but I have too many. Why did we pick virtual school? (It’s only September and I’m wondering, is anyone good at virtual school? I mean?!) I want to help you honey but I have to log on to my Zoom right now too. Actually, I’m late and I’m the host. Just do your best and there’s cereal for lunch. What do you mean those uploads from last night aren’t in there? Wait, you weren’t on mute that entire time?! We missed the morning meeting or was that the optional one? This link is expired, is that the Tuesday one or Wednesday one? Sweetie, I don’t know where you and your brother put the 6 chargers. There has to be one around here somewhere. You’re hungry again?!!! I just fed you breakfast, 2 snacks, and lunch, go eat a granola bar! I don’t know which link honey, let me go search these 57 emails I got today from your teacher and school.
I wish you could stay home but I have to go to work to support our family. Okay it’s time to put your mask on. Remember do not take it off unless you use 3 pumps of hand sanitizer first or, you wash your hands then use two pumps of sanitizer after. But whatever you do, do not touch your face or eat anybody’s food. EVA! Did you hear me? Repeat it back. Do not eat your mask. Do not chew on it. No kissing. Did you just touch your face? We haven’t even got out the car. Please don’t touch your face. If this mask gets dirty, apply five pumps of hand sanitizer and put on your back up mask. You have 3 back up masks in your backpack. Take everything off at the back door and get in the shower. What do mean Kristen coughed? Was she sick? What did the teacher do? Let me Lysol your homework folder down before you bring it in the house.
All of this is just hard.
Honestly, it’s just too much all the way around. We all just have to do the best we can. But most importantly, we must encourage each other. We may not be able to sit up under each other, but we still have ways to communicate, to encourage, to share what’s working and what is not.
Feel free to share or vent in the comments.
