Educators everywhere are experiencing rapid changes. Start dates, the format of instruction, and health recommendations and procedures are all fluid and - at times - revised daily.
Teachers in my district returned to school last Friday and were met in the first fifteen minutes that our start date was being pushed back a few days (again) and that students who chose "traditional" (in-house) instruction would now receive "hybrid" instruction, with half of the students receiving instruction at school for two days while the other half attends classes remotely. One day a week is a "deep clean" day.
The administration is deciding exactly what this looks like, and as various aspects are figured out the new information is shared with us.
Almost invariably, after each new piece of information, teacher groups of various sizes gather (socially distanced, of course) to discuss, brainstorm, and plan. Teachers pop in and out of each other's rooms to see what each other is thinking.
This afternoon we did a mock hybrid lesson; some teachers were in a classroom as the "in-house" students and others were in their rooms joining the lesson remotely. Teachers from both secondary schools in the district participated. We asked questions and shared ideas.
I've been so thankful for the extra days to process the changes. I'm also thankful for the time and opportunity to discuss with others what might work best for us and students.
"We > Me" is probably more important now than ever.
We > me should be a t-shirt for this year :) It's really reaffirming to read posts like this and realize that no matter where we teach, the uncertainity is there and teachers are banding together to try to figure it out like we always do. :)
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