It has been so long since I’ve had the time to write anything! I feel like the world we all knew ceased to exist in March 2020.
Well, school started in August. My state has been quite proactive in providing guidance to school districts in how to safely reopen. I live in a rural state and in a very rural area of that state, so we have not been hard-hit by COVID-19.
We were allowed to reopen to in-person classes with the option for students to become distance learners if they chose to. Most of my high school English students have returned to in-person learning. Out of about 80 students, I have 15 students who are distance learners. We’re all adjusting as well as can be expected. The students have been patient when there are technology glitches. Oh, I forgot to mention, we have to Zoom with the distance learners at the same time as we’re teaching the students who are F2F. Everything is loaded onto Google Classroom. I haven’t had to contend with the photocopier in months! By using the CARES monies, my school has been able to purchase a document camera, a Go-Pro type camera, and iPads for the teachers.
At first I was quite nervous to start the new school year, but as the months have worn on, I’ve adjusted to the new reality. I do miss all the creative arts projects my students used to do. We cannot share materials so I haven’t been able to assign anything hands-on. I’ve been trying to replicate these experiences with interactive slides.
There has been talk that a vaccine will soon be available. We’re all anxious to get back to life as we knew it.
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