Day One - Wednesday, March 18, 2020
We started Day One with a Google Meet at 8:00 am. I was really excited to have the majority of the kids there (and most of them seemed pretty pumped, too!) We talked for a short time about the procedures of remote learning, but most of our meeting was answering questions to reassure anxious kids.
It was 100% amazing to connect with the kids. We all missed each other, and having such a short time to say our goodbyes on Friday didn't help. We chatted for what I learned is too long for a Google Meet. Our first day's video still hasn't uploaded and it's been over 36 hours.
Enter - Adventure Story
After we had gone through questions, I was able to introduce our Remote Learning Adventure Story Project! Here's a little background:
During a plague quarantine in 1605-1606, Shakespeare wrote King Lear (and possibly Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra).
During the summer of 1816, Mary Shelley was essentially quarantined due to an especially long winter. One referred to as the year without a summer. During that time she wrote Frankenstein in a ghost story writing contest with Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron.
In the spirit of the greats, my students will be using this Remote Learning adventure to write an adventure story of their own. Today's task was to decide what message the adventure story will teach (what is the theme?)
Lessons Learned: Day One
1. I miss the kids. We had great chats today.
2. Fifth graders have A LOT of questions. Today's focus was answering questions and helping them feel ready for this.
3. The kids are ready to work and keep it as "normal: as possible
4. Having a dual monitor setup would make life easier.
For Tomorrow:
* Figure out how to do Math notes effectively without a second monitor
* Shorten Google Meets so they upload efficiently
Thursday, March 19, 2020
How it all began...
I began the week of March 9, not too concerned about Coronavirus. I knew that it was a problem, but here in northeast Indiana, things were still pretty much business as usual.
On Wednesday, a district-wide training was cancelled to be replaced by a staff meeting. The message? Start preparing your kids with the materials they will need if we close schools. All of a sudden, I started to stress. (Especially since I was receiving the message through email and text messages because I was off for a medical appointment day.)
When Thursday began, I met a classroom full of worried fifth grade children. They knew something was going on, but couldn't completely process it. We talked a little about what would happen if schools were to close, and we made a list of "everyday" items that needed to go home. When we left on Thursday, we planned to be there on Friday, but weren't sure.
Friday began with the energy of the last day before summer vacation. The kids were wired, the teachers were stressed, and there were a million unanswered questions. I tried to teach a normal day, but we did make "just in case" bags during our morning lessons. I had each child pack notebook paper, typing paper, brand new (sharpened) pencils, art supplies, and a few books into a bag that would be their "just in case" bag going forward. That was around 10:00 a.m.
At 1:30, the staff of my district got the official email. We will be closing effective Monday until April 10th. We will reopen on April 13th.
My students were in the middle of a writing prompt, so I made a list and cut them off a little early. When I shared the news, the kids' faces were just blank. I think they "knew" it was coming, but they didn't actually expect it.
We packed up as many things as we could, gave hugs goodbye, and they went home.
It was an emotional roller coaster of a day.
On Wednesday, a district-wide training was cancelled to be replaced by a staff meeting. The message? Start preparing your kids with the materials they will need if we close schools. All of a sudden, I started to stress. (Especially since I was receiving the message through email and text messages because I was off for a medical appointment day.)
When Thursday began, I met a classroom full of worried fifth grade children. They knew something was going on, but couldn't completely process it. We talked a little about what would happen if schools were to close, and we made a list of "everyday" items that needed to go home. When we left on Thursday, we planned to be there on Friday, but weren't sure.
Friday began with the energy of the last day before summer vacation. The kids were wired, the teachers were stressed, and there were a million unanswered questions. I tried to teach a normal day, but we did make "just in case" bags during our morning lessons. I had each child pack notebook paper, typing paper, brand new (sharpened) pencils, art supplies, and a few books into a bag that would be their "just in case" bag going forward. That was around 10:00 a.m.
At 1:30, the staff of my district got the official email. We will be closing effective Monday until April 10th. We will reopen on April 13th.
My students were in the middle of a writing prompt, so I made a list and cut them off a little early. When I shared the news, the kids' faces were just blank. I think they "knew" it was coming, but they didn't actually expect it.
We packed up as many things as we could, gave hugs goodbye, and they went home.
It was an emotional roller coaster of a day.
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