What’s the plan?
Despite my district floundering while coming up with a plan to get students back to school, I found a surefire way to feel confident about back to school despite the uncertainty.
Sadly, many teachers in my district, state, and throughout the US are feeling anxious. Don’t get me wrong. I have spent my entire summer vacation needing several stiff drinks just to relax and enjoy my summer off. I say that, of course, with sarcasm in my voice.
Parents in my district don’t feel any better. They are confused about who is teaching distance learning and when it will take place. How can they make an informed decision about enrolling their student in digital learning when the plan isn’t clear?
State leaders, the people in charge, have delegated the decision making to each county on how to reopen schools in California. Really, I think everyone is just drinking behind closed doors because these are uncertain times.
Does this sound familiar to you?
You are not alone:
This week I conducted several polls in my Instagram stories and feed asking teachers about their district’s plan to return. What about their confidence in delivering instruction despite what their district decides?
The results showed that many school districts have yet to make a decision on what learning may look like. Most of the teachers expressed concerns over being able to deliver instruction no matter what the future holds for them.
I felt much the same. Fret and concern consumes my day trying to figure out what to do in terms of child care for my toddler. How can I ensure our family’s safe return as numbers are rising in our county? Losing sleep, I was anxious and angry looking at news articles or scrolling social media. I gave dirty looks under my mask as I passed many shoppers at local stores not wearing them.. Deleting friends and family that continued to push unscientific claims about the virus has become a survival skill.
But, three weeks out from school and I am feeling confident about going back to school. My district still doesn’t have a plan and school begins August 3. So what’s the secret to the sauce?
The problem:
I was told I would be returning to full classroom instruction without physical distancing protocols being observed. Masks are encouraged, but not required.
I was also told that I would deliver in person instruction for my students on a normal school day. At the end of the day, I would meet with my distance learners for two hours of instruction. They would work for two hours independently.
Instruction for my distance learners could NOT take place during the time I was teaching in class.
A payment of 3.75% for each distance learner on my roster if they had an attendance rate of 50% for the month. was proposed by our board of education. The total extra I would be paid could not exceed 15% of my monthly salary. If I had four students enrolled it was fine, but more than four meant I would not be compensated for those additional students. If the enrolled students didn’t attend half the time, I wouldn’t be paid despite my work and efforts to show up daily.
Crazy? Insane! Do we need a cocktail recipe like the Cherry Mathmomosas from June? I think so! I am thinking a Back to School During Covid lavender, honey, and bourbon to relax my weary soul after nine hour teaching days, not including prep time.
My Surefire strategy for feeling confident for back to school despite so much uncertainty:
I found peace in the midst of this by examining the problem that was in front of me. I have spent a great deal of this crisis feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and angry. But what do those emotions get me? Nothing. They don’t solve the problem. Looking for solutions and trying to look at the problem from different angles, that’s going to make me feel better.
So, first thing is first. Stop fretting over what is outside your control. I remember reading The Oz Principle and being reminded that we have to take ownership of what’s in our control. I can’t fix everything and a lot of it I cannot control, but I can take actions that will move me forward. So I did.
I started to think about my own classroom and what strategies, technology, or tools I had that would work for in class learning, distance learning, or with a hybrid model. Thinking back to my time as a combination teacher, I managed two learning systems (grades 4 and 5) simultaneously and it was successful. I employed the design and engineering process we ask our students to use in STEAM situations. For now, I have a plan that I know is successful from previous experience. I am feeling confident moving forward.
I immediately felt my anxiety melt away once I found a plan that was going to work in whatever situation I might face this coming school year. Because I had success with it in a similar situation, I am feeling confident about going back school despite the uncertainty.
What’s my plan?
First, I wrote the board and let them know that I was concerned with their overall plan to require me to teach my distance learners after school.
You see, I think that my distance learners need to be included in our classroom learning synchronously. I feel confident streaming classroom learning and know that the bandwidth at my school will accommodate this as well. Excluding those learners does not promote inclusion or classroom community. The board expressed concern about the mental and emotional health of our students. Doesn’t exclusion impact one’s mental and emotional health?
Then:
I also let them know that at home learners should not be punished for my lack of spirit after school hours. You see, I am tired after a normal teaching day. Now I have to teach three more hours? The equity of the situation is that ALL students deserve high quality learning. This could be delivered synchronously via meeting software.
Finally:
I further explained that I could use breakout rooms to include those students in discussions, think-pair-shares, and learning games. Pear Deck, Google Slides, as well as KAMI for shared annotations are all tools at my disposal.
At this time, the decision remains unknown, but knowing that I had shared strong support for a hybrid model of at home learners and in classroom learning released my anxiety. I felt like I had solved a problem that was within my control. I had gained the confidence i needed for back to school despite the uncertainty.
That’s Not All:
The next thing I did was I reflected on my time as a combination teacher and why I felt that was so successful. Not only had I balanced two learning situations at the same time successfully, I also had a tool that made learning engaging, as well as easily organized and managed.
I had used Google Sites. Google Sites is just what it sounds like: a platform for creating a website. As a combo teacher, I was using Google Sites to have my students document classroom learning and to actually make a personal website. But the more I began to think about it, the more I realized that using Sites as a digital notebook or binder was a wonderful solution to distance learning.
Why Google Sites?
Not only does Sites allow you to post work in Classroom that can then be uploaded to an individual’s site, it allows you the ability to make pages just like you would make divider tabs for each subject.
Although I teach fifth grade, I can see a school site at the middle or high school level. I plan on using it as a tool for students to organize their notes around a unit, while also including work, videos, pictures, and other media forms to make a fantastic resource for students (and parents).
I especially love that if my students want, they no longer have a chunky binder to carry back and forth to school. I know that research shows writing information down to be more effective than typing, but I also know that these are special circumstances for students. I am looking for solutions to the problems.
Once I settled on Google Sites as a cornerstone tool for classroom learning and instruction in the coming year, I began to relax. I had taken a problem and rather than complaining about it, I invested the energy into solving what was within my control. I hope you can do the same. Stop and reflect on what is within your control and invest your time and efforts into that. This is a surefire way for you to feel confident about the coming school year despite so much uncertainty.
Want Some Help?
Google Sites is really a wonderful tool. There are so many possibilities and ways that you can implement it. For example, social emotional learning is going to be front and center in my classroom this year. We use Dovetail’s Toolbox for Education at our school, which includes 10 tools for social emotional health. In those first weeks of school, my students will be making their Toolbox page and a subpage for each tool we will cover during the year.
Perhaps you are a tech savvy guru and you have already been playing around on Sites. You are ready to go all on your own, great, GO! But, if learning something new is just too much for you right now and it is going to send you into morning drinking habits outside of weekend mimosas, girl I am here to help you.
I love integrating technology in meaningful ways. Our students consume too much technology. They need to be creators, innovators, collaborating and solving problems with technology. I think Google Sites is a great way tool for accomplishing this.
Let me share that passion and philosophy with you. If you think you are going to need help in solving this problem, or want someone to help you implement this in your classroom, I am here for you. I am developing a mini-course on launching Google Sites in your classroom that will include the following:
- Five short videos to help you create your own Google site so you can help your students.
- Ready made templates for your students to use as they begin exploring Google Sites
- Lifetime access to the Private Facebook group with coaching to help you not just launch Google Sites in your Classroom, but to help your students thrive with Sites.
This course is currently in presale, so don’t miss out. We can diminish that anxiety by putting an actionable plan in place that will help you and your students thrive, not just survive, this year no matter what your learning circumstance.
Last Call:
Instead of wasting your summer worrying about what is outside of your control, look for solutions to the problems that are within your control. Stop pointing the finger, shifting the blame, and scrolling news stories. Think about what you have done in the past that would allow you the flexibility to teach in person, digitally, or perhaps a mix of both.
Focus on the skills and experiences you have had when facing a time that you had to manage multiple outcomes. Perhaps it was applying to college. Chances are there is something in your past, teaching or otherwise, that helped you navigate similar circumstances. Draw on that experience and power as you face these challenges ahead.
Check out Google Sites and see if it is for you. How could it serve your purposes for in person learning, distance learning, or a hybrid model? Needing support? First, let me offer you this FREE 4 Step Plan to Launching Google Sites in your classroom. If you find you need more support and want to learn more about how to really leverage Google Sites in your classroom, check out the mini-course I am developing.
What do you think? Share in the comments below what you think of Google Sites or how you plan to walk confidently into the year ahead.
As always, bottoms up!