Life on Lockdown

In all of my 25 years of teaching, we have never experienced anything like this. Our last day of normal classes was Friday the 13th of March 2020. An ominous date for sure. Since that time, we have been sending out lessons electronically and most of my students have been participating.

When we were first told that we would no longer be meeting, I definitely grieved. There is a strong academic component to my days but more than that I spend time helping them grow into decent human beings. I love hearing then laugh, listening to their stories, and reminding them to make good choices.

Now all of our Interaction is done electronically, online through PDFs, videos, and an occasional email exchange. Definitely not preferred and on some days almost dreaded.

But looking on the bright side, my prayer is that these students are becoming more independent, responsible, and technologically savvy. Sure, they know all about Tic Toc. But can they remember how to submit something on Canvas? Do they know how to comment on FlipGrid? What about looking for their daily work and managing all their deadlines?

What will our life look like in the fall? Nobody really knows. But for now, we need to make the most of our time and count our blessings.