The silence between the notes

Full disclosure: Teaching is HARD! Online teaching is somehow even harder! Teaching online (and/or hybrid) in the middle of ever-changing social situations and a pandemic is UNREALISTICALLY HARD! I usually take pride in my ability to differentiate for students’ various needs but with online learning, that’s basically become one of my main job requirements! There’s no time left in the day to grade—just barely enough time to respond to the individual messages and try to plan their supports/modifications/extra meetings. Some days, my eyes are dry and burning and my heart is broken by student stories even before 10AM. On those days, I practically give up all hope of grading because it takes every ounce of professionalism to stay strong through my next 6 hours of Zoom meetings. And by the way, that is in no way a complaint! I sincerely value the fact that students are willing to reach out, and I value the fact that my job allows me to support them in different ways. I have seen programs w...

Last month, I attended a virtual meeting with a nonprofit organization called Stand for Children and I asked if they knew how to help with some of the technological needs that I have observed in my recent classroom observations. Last weekend, I received an email from them inviting me to share my testimony at the upcoming House Education Committee meeting . Sadly, the bill on Digital Equity on was then removed from the agenda. Surprisingly, the bill then was moved back onto the agenda early this morning! Between my regularly scheduled work meetings, I logged on and listened to other speakers who were sharing their testimonies in support of or opposition to the bill. Although there was no more time allowed for new speakers, there was still time to submit my written testimony before the meeting ended. So with fueled by a sudden rush of adrenaline and coffee, I typed up my testimony as quickly as my shaky hands could handle. I don’t think I have ever been so grateful to have the speedy sk...

As more and more STATES and SCHOOL DISTRICTS are releasing their plans for how their schooling will happen in the fall, I’m seeing more and more anxiety and frustration from people’s responses. Friends, please remember there are NO EASY, OBVIOUS ANSWERS, because no matter how obvious one viewpoint might seem to YOU, we have millions of families coming from various experiences across the country and they all have different concerns. I really don't think a singular solution exists, so the most important contribution I can offer in this conversation is my wider perspective. I’ve been a teacher for about 20 years, and a teacher of incoming teachers for 5. I have worked in or alongside approximately 60 schools throughout Washington State. I love my students and their families and my coworkers very much and I wish we could find some magical answer that would fix this situation we’re in. But honestly, I'm still torn about what I wish for the 2020-2021 school year. I’m worried...

Like many teachers who have moved to an online format in the last few weeks, I’ve found myself in days of back-to-back Zoom meetings , and I’ve lost track of how many hours I’ve had to squint through my aching eyes at all my multitasking screens . On the bright side, I’ve found inspiration and creativity in imagining my classes and student interactions in new ways. But on the painfully bright side, these screens really do hurt after a while! So I’m going to keep this list of tips short and simple…because I want to go close my eyes and I’m betting you do too! To combat your increased time with online teaching and conferencing: 1)       Schedule breaks between your meetings. Over the course of a day, a few 15 minute breaks can make a big difference in your physical and mental endurance! As teachers, we’re not used to taking short breaks but this is a necessary shift now that you’re homebound! Stand and walk around your house, open your posture, stretch yo...

With the ever-tightening quarantine measures being taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like I no longer have the excuse of being too busy to write.   In fact, since  I’m working more hours from home, I’m being more intentional about switching from work to play time!  So for a creative outlet, I decided to create a challenge for all of my artsy friends who are also stuck at home! The first part of this project came to me when I was listening to a Paramore song which says ”We’re all alone now. I need something to sing about.” And I realized that future generations will probably interpret those words differently than the original context...before we'd all experienced large scale Social Distancing. As a former teacher of poetry and music, that made me want to start investigating other songs that will probably be interpreted differently during this isolation... or after this apocalyptic season (hopefully) ends!   The second part of the project came ...