As I sit at my computer, my heart is heavy. It is the last day of the school year; the last day of a very non-typical school year.
My heart is also heavy as I think of all the chaos and pain this pandemic has caused even though in most places, “business is once again resuming.” I think of those who succumbed to the illness, I think of their loved ones who grieve. I think of those still fighting a courageous battle to overcome the complications from COVID-19 after it ravaged their bodies. I think of their loved ones who pray and hold vigil; the ultimate embodiment of hope.
Over my 11 years as an educator; I have had some difficult years… whether it was deep cuts to the budget resulting in the cut back of services, instruction and supplies which is so detrimental to the education and future of our students; or student trauma and death and now… the COVID-19 closure.
As I watched the government update in mid March; it was as if I had been punched in the stomach when the Chief Medical Office, with great reluctance, announced that K-12 schools would be closing… indefinitely!
Teachers love personal interaction and routine; the COVID-19 closure ripped that away. I thought of my students. Not being able to see them over the summer is difficult enough. But not being able to see them until school (hopefully) re-opened in September… almost 5 months away… made my head spin!
My coworkers and I frantically texted each other trying to figure out what this closure would mean to the physical, emotional and mental health of our students. So many questions; so few answers at the outset; this was uncharted territory!
-What about the students who rely on us to provide breakfast and lunch?
-What about the students receiving one on one support?
-How do we foster and maintain relationships?
-What about those accessing mental health services (from us or from outside sources)?
-What about the effects of crisis and job loss on the families?-What about our students in grade 12: how would this affect their graduation and their future post secondary plans?
-How do we support online learning?
-What about access to technology for students?
We had ONE week to prepare work for students (both on paper and digitally) that conformed to the standards set by the Ministry of Education and our school board, clean out lockers, facilitate student pick up of their things, gather all of our materials to take home so we could work there instead. Then the remote learning phase would start. We traded walking around our once bustling and vibrant classrooms full of kids eager to connect with us and learn, for our kitchen tables where we would sit tied to our Chromebooks for 8 hours permanently logged into Google Classroom or on a Google Meet.
I must say that our school and board did a tremendous job bridging the gap and facilitating the transition from classroom to online learning. Our students were incredible! They rose to the challenge and showed how resilient they are and I couldn’t be prouder of their progress and perseverance!
As always our concern is about our students, however, in typical teacher fashion we often neglect our own wellness. The pandemic caused me a lot of anxiety. I did develop some positive coping strategies (however, I also developed some negative ones too). What got me through the COVID-19 Closure was…
1. Routine
2. Regular coffee sessions
3. Spending time outside
4. Working out or moving my body
5. Actively participating in a relaxing activity
6. Turning off the news
Routine
-Getting up at my usual pre-closure time.
-My online class schedule followed the same in-class timings.-I got dressed as if I was going to work in my teacher clothes.
*There were times where I fell off the wagon in terms of my routine; when my sadness and anxiety overwhelmed me. I’d get up 20 minutes before class started, keep my pajama pants on but put on a nice shirt, I’d couch surf on my breaks rather than go outside and forgo my workout. These were not good days!
Coffee Sessions
-A Google Meet or a Zoom call with coworkers or friends while enjoying a cup of coffee and just talking about other aspects of life and not focusing on COVID-19.
Spending Time Outside
-I took all my allotted breaks outside and even ate meals outside.
*Never did I think I would miss hallway supervision at lunch; but I REALLY did!
Working Out or Moving My Body
-I found a great short workout (7 minutes of stretching) in the Nike Training Club (NTC). I did that before work. I used the “plan” feature on the app to find a schedule of workouts I could do after work.-I also went for walks on my lunch break or I pulled a few weeds and watered plants in the garden.
Relaxation
-Yoga, colouring, writing, reading, playing games, birdwatching, doing puzzles, listening to music, catching up on and discovering new podcasts. *You know, all the stuff you shelve so you can get other things done. I had to consciously make time for this stuff; these are all the activities that fill my bucket… you can’t pour from an empty bucket!
Turn Off The News…
-The endless COVID-19 updates and posts on social media became too much. I couldn’t handle it. So I simply STOPPED tuning in each day at 3:30; I chose when I wanted to listen (once a week) and stopped myself from being bombarded.The fate of the upcoming school year is still in limbo. We have a tentative plan but that could change (all we can do is hope and pray that COVID-19 dies down, that those still fighting recover quickly and that we can get back to a routine that is as close to “normal” as possible). I can’t wait to be reunited with my students in September!