We’ve officially been in pandemic mode for over a year. We went home from school and into lockdown in March 2020 on Friday the 13th. One year later, there’s a lot to reflect on. Almost too much, at least at the macro level. Quite a bit on a personal level, too. It’s interesting how we…
Tag: Teaching in a Pandemic
2021 March – Week 10
Week ten was… a long week. Work has been stressful lately with the pressure admin has put on the ELA department to administer and analyze the STAR exam. Plus, my co-teacher has been out for three weeks because of an injury, I had my formal observation, and our rosters continue to change as students return…
2021 February – Week 8
The last week of February was fairly eventful. A return to school, a tough decision, a discussion with my neurologist… The discussion went well. The decision about whether to coach lacrosse again this year was difficult, but ultimately I think it’s best if I step back. Having made the decision, I now feel immense relief….
2021 February – Week 6
My mind couldn’t keep the days straight this week. Halfway through first period on Monday, I thought it was Tuesday. On Tuesday, I thought it was Monday. Wednesday felt like Friday, and Friday morning felt like the start of Wednesday. Some weeks are just like that, I guess. They simply exist and you simply exist…
2021 February – Week 5
I’d like to pretend January was 2020’s hangover and that February will be the real new year, because January was rough. And on the last day of it, I witnessed one of the saddest things of my lifetime. I knew the funeral would be rough, and I was prepared for the tiny coffin… Or so…
2021 January – Week 3
A woman became Vice President this week. Not only a woman, but a woman of color. And the world went wild over a youth poet’s inspiring poem and performance. Finally— not a return to normalcy but movement forward. We can “let out that breath we didn’t know we were holding,” as so many YA authors…
2020 December – Week 52
I saw a meme about 202o. It went like this: 2020: January February COVID December That felt accurate. Sunday Sammy loves when Brian visits. It makes me happy to see them together… and guilty. Monday This picture of Christina hosting announcements from her living room with the fake snow and the exaggerated participation in the…
2020 December – Week 51
We are inching closer to 2021, and I’m very much looking forward to the new year. I’m ready for it in a way I’ve never been before. And it’s not just because this fucking year can suck it, but because I’m ready for new things. I feel like, despite everything — the crazy uncertainty, the…
2020 December – Week 50
Holy shit, it’s Week 50. I can’t believe I’ve been at this for almost an entire year… An entire, shitty year — entirely shitty. An entire entirely shitty year. Alas, I’m spent. Can you tell? Sunday I’m early with the Christmas cards this year. Or… holiday cards, since they’re more about connection during this season…
2020 December – Week 49
Get ready to see even more pictures of my cat. Because he is my life now. He’s always been my constant companion, but he’s basically Velcro Cat these days, and I’m one hundred percent okay with this. I don’t know what I’ll do without him. The pandemic hasn’t been easy, but it also hasn’t been…