I am not sure about the rest of you, but I am scared. I put on that brave front for my own family, for my students, for my colleagues. But, the reality is that I am scared. I am scared of this virus – how it is spreading so rapidly and we aren’t able to contain it. I am scared my family will catch it and someone will be hospitalized. I am scared that our economy is plummeting, my children’s college funds will disappear, and local businesses & companies won’t be able to recoup everything they have lost. I am scared that “social distancing” is going to cause an increase in the already high rates of depression and anxiety in our country. I am just plain scared.

When I start to feel this way, I am always grateful to see posts here on Three Teachers Talk that remind that my fears are normal and we will be okay. Friday’s post, It’s Okay to Not Know What to Do Next, hit me hard. Last week was rough at my school. Thursday and Friday we were in crisis mode. Small teams of coaches worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything in place for both students and staff if our schools shut down and we had to move to an eLearning model for an extended period of time. While we are a school that gives Chromebooks to all students, we have never believed in the philosophy that students in all classes, all day, should be using their devices. That being said this “new normal” is going to be hard on all of us. We weren’t prepared for this. Angela’s post reminded me that no matter how hard this will be, we can get through this together.

Keeping it Real…

Yesterday afternoon as I was stumbling for words to finish this post, I opened up Amy’s post, Early Morning Thoughts and a Couple of Ideas, took a deep breathe, and thought about all that I am grateful for – there is so much that brings me happiness during this time of uncertainty.

• My family – My husband is a teacher and we are supporting one another (and many of our colleagues) as we figure out eLearning. We are getting outside, taking our pups for walks, and enjoying movies and tv shows we never have time to watch. My boys are finding ways to deal with the “social distancing” and the cancellation of their sports and team events. They aren’t complaining and are enjoying these days of sleeping in and being together.
• My colleagues – I love the group chats I am part of. We reach out to share ideas and to just check in with one another. We are social creatures and while it is nice to be able to go to the bathroom whenever we want, we got into this job to help kids. COVID-19 has just made that a bit more complicated.
• The sunshine – here in northern Illinois we have not seen the sun much these past few months. It has been dreary and cold. Looking out my window at blue sky brings a smile to my face.

So what am I doing to help my colleagues and students during this time?

As Amy posted yesterday, there are so many great resources available to teachers who are being asked to teach students online. Companies like Newsela, NoRedInk, and Zoom are offering free subscriptions to teachers. That being said, in my English classroom my co-teacher and I are keeping it simple for the next few days before spring break. We are asking our students to read and write. (And we threw some grammar practice in there to see if anyone would take us up on using NoRedInk).

As you plan your lessons for the next few weeks, remember….

Our students work very hard for us when they are in school. They don’t have the distractions or responsibilities that they may have at home. eLearning is a completely different experience and they didn’t sign up to go to school online.

That some may not read as much (and some might read more.) It is important to find ways to get more books in kids hands. With libraries closed, share articles, podcasts, TedTalks, and links to get ebooks on their phones. Anything to keep them reading and engaged.

Technology is going to fail and some of our assignments won’t go as expected. IT IS OK! Really. Our kids will be okay. They just need to know we care more about them as humans than the work that they may or not get finished.

In a group chat a few days ago, my colleague reminded the group, “While kids need routine and reassurance, I think we should exercise an abundance of humanity during this time.” He is 100% right. Let’s give ourselves some grace. We will get through this… fears and all.

Melissa Sethna lives and teaches with her husband in Mundelein, IL. On a regular school day she is so busy coaching teachers and planning professional development (along with co-teaching her English class). Under this mandatory school closure time, when she isn’t helping her colleagues, she is catching up on her to-read list, listening to “Today’s Easy Hits” on Apple Music, and making time to workout at a normal hour. You can follow her on Goodreads and Twitter @msethna23.