Teaching during Covid
This year has definitely been one of the most interesting years of my teaching career. My first year teaching was right after the May 22nd tornado, a storm that ripped through my hometown. Needless to say we were switching to 1:1 learning and teaching in temporary facilities while also having students (myself included) healing from the physical and mental impacts of dealing with such a tragic event. Even all the experiences I went through my first year did not prepare me for teaching during 2020.
Watching the events of Covid-19 unfold in the spring filled me with shock and uneasiness. I am a planner and I love having things planned out in my life and have an understanding of what is happening right around the corner. Covid did not care about my plans and I watched with the world around me as we were overwhelmed with a pandemic. Fear caused a lot of anxiety in my life during that time. Not knowing how I was going to get groceries, afraid for my family, my students......how would I TEACH ART ONLINE?
Thankfully I had my coworkers to lean on, grace surrounded me and I was able to relax and take into consideration what really mattered when it came to teaching art. The one thing that stuck with me, as I began planning for what school would look like this fall, was that I cared for my students. I wanted them to feel safe, know that I understand when they feel anxious, and that I wanted them to still be able to learn all about amazing things we could create in the art room.
Thankfully my district went back to a modified schedule this fall. We see half of our students with the last names A-K on one day and L-Z on the other. We alternate those students and it allows for social distancing and contract tracing to be a daily part of my routine. As anxious and stressful as it is to be teaching during a pandemic, I am even more thankful that I get to go back to the classroom and create art with my students. I saw a quote by Brad Johnson, that I am including on this post that talks about teaching right now. He says " Relationships before Rigor. Grace before grades. Patience before programs. Love before lessons." This sums up my approach to this semester and the start of the new normal in teaching. Continuing to think positive and be hopeful for an amazing school year. Hello 2020.
Photos below are my awesome coworkers who make teaching during a pandemic much more enjoyable.
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