Well, I haven’t been to work for a week, but I’ve been working!

Honestly, I feel like I’m in my lane right now. Remote teaching (which I have done before) gives me a lot of what I want out of teaching. I have the time to think about what I want my students to focus on, and research the materials that I want to offer them. I’ve already learned so much about the different language apps and materials available for French online and I have a lot of ideas for how I can tailor them for my students and this situation.

At the same time, I don’t have to deal with the pressure of the administrative side of teaching. I don’t have to worry about the next quiz/test the students have to prepare for, or calling home, or meetings. I don’t have to print papers, or figure out when I can reserve Chromebooks. I can interact with students and families one-on-one. The students learn at their own pace and not the one mandated by the county.

I am very aware, though, that a few of my students don’t have internet access/devices at home. So they’re getting none of this material. I also know that the time they devote to using what I offer completely depends on their families and home situation. So I know the students who need the content most are probably not getting it. And there’s not a lot I can do about that. I contacted every family I could by email/letter to let them know where the (optional) assignments are housed, but there were a few families I couldn’t get in contact with.

Given everything, I am grateful for this time to be able to relax and also expand my teaching tools. I’m also scared that when everything settles, there are students/teachers/staff that I will never see again. A break is a wonderful thing to have, but I wish we had a better reason for it.