My classroom is a mess!

Learning tools and activities are still stashed in boxes, having been tossed on shelves in a speedy effort to close down my classroom in a matter of hours instead of days. Tiny chairs remain stacked, tables flipped one on top of the other, book baskets sit empty, looking abandoned instead of over flowing with readers. Cubbies filled to the brim with miscellaneous odds and ends from all over our once living classroom, instead of colorful backpacks and leaky water bottles.

It’ October, not August, it shouldn’t look this way. It shouldn’t be so silent.

I sit at my desk, now there’s a foreign statement for a kindergarten teacher. But I do. I sit at my desk from 8:30 to 10:55 when I head to my lunch duty where I spend 30 minutes interacting with kindergarteners. They aren’t mine. I’m not responsible for their academic learning. I don’t even see them every day. Yes, we chat and laugh and I teach them life skills, like how to open their milk cartons and stab oranges with the end of a spork. But they don’t fill my room with laughter and awe-ha moments. I turn them back over to their teachers at 11:30 and return to my silent room to once again take up my place behind my computer for the remainder of the day. I leave around 4 ish but I’m not finished. I have hours more work ahead of me.

I hear you. Don’t do it. Don’t take it home. You’re contract ends at 4 you need time to recover and to “self-care”. I hear you. And I should heed that advice. I’ve given it to so many new teachers over the years.

But this year…

I can’t. I won’t. I am working against the effects of COVID and I will not let this virus win! I will not fail the children in my charge! And right now, that means extra hours, tired eyes, tight shoulders, stress, so much stress and a mind that, unlike my classroom, is never silent.  

My classroom may be silent, but my computer and phone are on fire! I am supporting 20 of my own families and 5 teachers as together we endeavor to teach, love and grow tiny humans virtually. Honestly, knowing where we came from to where we are now. We are rockin’ it! It’s not perfect but we’re making it. Together, we’re making it.

In the last two and half months we have learned a new program, dropped that program, become experts on two new programs, learned to make videos like professionals, figured out how to assess squirrely kinders on-line, hold meetings on Google Meet,  gathered and sorted data, made changes midstride, been frustrated, had successes and celebrated milestones. And been ever so thankful for each other!

The year isn’t over, not even close. More changes will come but there is only one thing that truly matters – are they learning?

The answer – yes, yes they are.

In the end that’s all that matters!

So take that COVID!