Acknowledging the Uncomfortable (An editorial)

School is in full swing, now. I guess. It's very weird. We, teachers, are here at our buildings every day, but most of our students are not. Roughly 1/3rd* of our students are remote and the remaining 2/3rd* are split between A days and B days, with some exceptions. Staff has been in session for 27 days, A-schedule kids have been in session for 12 days, and B-schedule kids have been in session for 11 days.

The start to this school year has been different and weird and, quite honestly, uncomfortable. Some students and staff are worried about getting sick. We know parents are worried about how to teach their kids at home and maintain their job responsibilities. I've seen parents get frustrated for kids being sent home with minor physical ailments because no one really understands the nature of the Covid-19 virus. Social distancing and masks are all over the place. It’s a lot. Most of us are wondering, “When is this going to end?” 

Because this has been different and weird and uncomfortable, I have been looking for the good parts, the silver lining of these clouds. In the blended model, class sizes are smaller. Attendance in a single class on any given day can range from 5 to 12 kids. The smaller class sizes allow for more individualized attention and instruction and fewer disruptive behaviors. We're also wondering if these small class sizes will create more of a family atmosphere. The social distancing at lunch means less noise. In previous years, a lot of our kids, ages 5-9, struggled with the sensory overload from the noise level at lunch, but now they don’t. Lunch at the primary level is much more enjoyable. Students and staff are coming up with creative ways to pass the time in recess when playgrounds and equipment are not allowed. Examples include obstacle courses, Simon Says, and invisible kickball.

So, when is going to end? I don’t know. This whole school year is going to look different, and we will most likely spend a few years getting back to "normal." I hope, though, that “getting back to normal” is not the exactly like the old normal. I hope it’s a new normal with some of these positives incorporated into it. We’re going to get comfortable with what’s uncomfortable now, and we’re going to see that it’s not all bad.


*I do not claim these statistics to be precise, just a rough guesstimation.

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