Quarantine Chronicles

There's been a lot of things I have seen pop up in my feed about handy tips to get me through the frustrated maze of e-learning. Somedays it's really helpful. Other days I feel that it is one more reminder of how much better I could be handling the process of educating my kids. We all have so many feelings right now. But the most prevalent, I think, for me, is a mixture of gratefulness for extra time with my family, regret for lost opportunities for my senior and sports champions that will be left unplayed for my other two, and fear and uncertainty that this will become our new normal.   

I think one of the lessons from this forced period of status quo for me has been the chance to level the playing field for most kids. Hear me out. I realize that it's hard to accommodate for kids with differing abilities. I realize not all of the core content rollout has been perfect. I know parents and teachers have struggled almost as much as the kids. But the thing is, there is a spirit of community and discussion that has occurred between teachers, parents, and administrators, that wouldn't have normally happened. Accommodations are being made for kids and assignments naturally based on feedback from parents and there is a new appreciation for the process of teaching. There are more family discussions based around school content and current events. I never have to wonder what my child did in their math class. And virtual field trips, weekly due dates, and opportunities to learn in pajamas with plenty of time for board games or cooking experiences have definitely improved my children's attitudes and stress levels. I hope that these are the things that we can take away from this experience.