2021 June – Week 25

traeazz

3 years ago

We made it. The school year is over. It’s funny how when you’re in the thick of it, everything feels so important, so pressing. Each student’s needs are at the forefront of your thoughts, every lesson/unit gets reflected on ten times over, you fret over whether you said exactly the right thing or handled a specific situation exactly the right way…

And then the year ends and time moves on and you move on with it. And though moments and instances stand out in your mind, the school years start to blend together.

Something tells me this year won’t blend in with the rest, though.

Sunday

We started the year off hybrid, had huge groups of students quarantining throughout the year, and went all virtual for a few of the winter months. Even after returning, we still had some students only online. Teaching in-person and virtually at the same time is… not the most effective way to teach.

Monday

We struggled to get through curricula in less time. We reminded students to pull their masks up fifteen times a period. We hustled to clean desks in between the classes, leaving students somewhat unattended in the halls where issues arose. We dealt with ever-changing state regulations as we tried to coordinate events for students.

Tuesday

We tried to make our classes and finals fail-proof and gifted grades in an effort to be empathetic— and stressed over whether this was truly in the students’ best interests. We struggled with our philosophies on education, with our practical approaches to instruction, with our expectations of our students, and with the expectations placed on us.

Wednesday

But we got through it.

Our year ended with a week of sunshine and two trips to Water Safari, successfully executed by Christina and me. The kids had fun letting loose. I had fun eating Dippin’ Dots.