I could feel this day coming, but there’s still no real preparing for it. Life and all the routines that keep it steady and grounded have been disrupted.
I knew when I heard from my colleague this morning that Los Angeles Unified School District would close their schools beginning on Monday that I would get a similar message before the day was out. And it was literally only minutes later that the email arrived.
Because of my Writing Project buy-outs, I don’t teach on Thursdays and Fridays so I was working from home when the message arrived. I texted my teaching partner to learn that the principal had called a meeting during recess. I couldn’t be there by that time, but as soon as my Zoom meeting finished, I headed over to school. I knew I wanted more information, I wanted to see our students, and I wanted to support my teaching partner in getting materials and information ready to send home by the end of the day.
And while we are prepared…as prepared as possible for an impossible situation, there is no roadmap for closing schools for a global pandemic. It feels like the whole world has flipped over and we’re now living in the upside down.
So…my students will be learning remotely for at least the next two weeks. They went home with their iPads today, knowing that they will find lessons and activities to do at home beginning on Monday morning. And importantly, they know that their teachers are on the other side of their apps…planning for learning and expecting to see evidence of learning coming back to them.
So will this move flatten the curve? Tamp down the spread of the virus? Keep us all safer and healthier? I hope so. And I know I will be ready for the world to flip back upright–knowing that our routines will likely continue to be disrupted even when our schools re-open.
Let’s keep washing our hands and keeping our spirits up, the kids out there need us!
Thinking Through My Lens 
I love the ending, about keeping our spirits up. it’s so important!
Our kids are home for three weeks. We aren’t doing remote teaching, and I’m wondering why. I sent home lots of books and book logs….
I was out today with a shoulder injury. I agree. It feels like our world has been flipped upside down.
Incredible how your story, like my story, are repeating across this country. Good luck, stay safe. And enjoy the adventure, right?
You teach primary age, second grade or first, as I recall. I’m interested to hear how your adventures in remote learning with that age goes. Is your school one-to-one iPads? Some upper elementary students and above have take-home chrome books, but there’s not much technology for us at the primary grades.
Hi Fred. I have third graders this year. And we have 1:1 iPads K-6. All kids in our district will be learning remotely. Should be interesting!
Quite! Looking forward to your posts. The question I always ask about kids using computers is, “Who’s telling the computer what to do?”
A moment of happiness to see my old NWP/ CLMOOC friend, Fred, in the mix here … hey Fred … I hope you are well.
Kevin
Yesterday was D Day for many of us, coast to coast. I wish our school had a plan for using technology (but they don’t, as far as I can tell) like yours did, with iPads going home. We will meet as a staff on Monday (school closed to students for at least two weeks) to figure out a path forward.
Kevin
Good luck navigating this closure. We’re still open, but who knows how long that will last. It is absolutely an upside-down sort of time.
Well, that just changed…we’re out for at least two weeks now…
Not surprised. Are you expected to provide learning activities remotely or as packets?