This might just be a scream into the void, but I report for school next week for three days of conferencing and PD before students report.

I feel like there’s a lot of crossover for #amwriting twitter and #teacher twitter, so maybe this thread (hopefully daily) can help.

At the very least, maybe it’ll be something I can look at when the dust settles and cringe at the stream-of-consciousness going on. I’ll tag it with the #writeteachsupport hashtag.

So here are some demographics (teachers report Sept 1, Group A students report Sept 8, B Sept 10)

The idea is that cohorts (grade levels) will be split in half, but parents filled out surveys answering what would be best for their family needs (siblings kept together, obviously), and the district is still getting requests for virtual (a week after deadline) #writeteachsupport

So we don’t know our A and B groups yet. That’s fine, we adapt, it’s what we do.

We’ve been told that September at the very least should be spent bringing students “back up to speed” rather than teaching new material.

Again, confused as to how, but we adapt. #writeteachsupport

Thanks to building project delays, we aren’t able to get into our classrooms to set up and prepare ourselves until possibly Monday (the day before we report).

I don’t think I have to explain the connection between environment and mental health/readiness. #writeteachsupport

That’s fine, we adapt. We got ready for this by teaching full-time for free while working jobs to afford gas, student teaching supplies, so on and so forth.

I didn’t get into this gig because it would be stress-free, or lucrative, or particularly respected. #writeteachsupport

But if you think unprepared students (many of whom checked out in March), admin still reeling, and teachers starting off on shaky ground is a recipe for success, then I have some bridges to sell you for cheap. #writeteachsupport

Cases in my region are on the rise, so it might not be long before we are fully virtual again (although a lot of area decision-makers think the virus is made up by the left to sabotage Drumpf, so that’s the only thing that can do it). #writeteachsupport

This portion of the thread, I suppose, is just a lengthy thesis statement: I’m going to use this thread as a chronicle, of what’s happening, how we’re doing, how one teacher and writer is coping (reading, watching, listening, writing). #writeteachsupport

T-7 Days Before Teacher Reporting Day

Stressed, but I’ve been designing my units for distance learning for two or three years, so I can’t imagine how many of my colleagues feel.

Finishing my summer reads with THE ELECTRIC HEIR by Victoria Lee
#writeteachsupport

Watching @HamiltonMusical because it’s comforting and my 8-month-old grins wildly at King George and Eliza.

I’ve been lucky to spend the last five months teaching so close to him; my greatest fear is hospital plexiglass separating us again. #writeteachsupport

We also have family who are “over” the virus and thus doing whatever they want; we asked that they simply wear masks when holding him. That’s it.

We don’t hear from them, sooooo...

#writeteachsupport

We adapt. We move on. We move onto the next thing.

Today I’m fine-tuning my syllabi and working with my co-teacher on the September plan. More thoughts may follow. #writeteachsupport

Any #writing #teaching friends feel free to chime in!

Be well.