First Day of School

Today was our 'first day of school' and it was awesome! So so so good to be back! Although of course not back in the classroom... but this day counted as a day of school so I was in my teaching mode all day.

It sure was a cozy 'first day' of school. The snow fluttered down all day long. I 'attended' an online staff meeting with my principal. I sent out my first email since all of this started to my families with details about "Distance Learning". I set up 22 google meets so that I can be face to face with each one of my students, one at a time starting tomorrow morning at 8:40am. I can't wait to 'talk' to them, see their faces, and begin to actually teach! Right now they all have the learning plan for the week and today on their fist day they started to work through it. Tomorrow I solve all of the problems.

Today I also uploaded my first Google Classroom! I'm doing something from that classroom that I call "Baker Novel Time". I'll be reading one chapter a day to my own girls and I'm recording it for my students. So excited for that daily classroom routine to continue at home!

It was a 'first day' for my girls at home as well as Scott who is a principal. There were a few times this morning that all 4 of us were on a google meets (like of like a face to face conference call) at the same time! It was exciting to listen in while I was answering emails to Abigail talking to her Chinese teacher. So so cool to hear all that was going on!

This is going to be so different. And although I love a busy classroom with lots of excitement and learning, teaching is teaching and I'm doing it!

One day of distance learning down!




And this... I couldn't help myself -- I just had to comment on a blog post about moms who are 'teaching at home' these days...

This isn't about homeschooling (I think that's really great) It was tips (the blogger was asking) on getting school kids through these now home learning days... 

I can't give 'homeschooling' tips because I've never done that (until now) but I can give teacher tips as I'm a 4th grade teacher. It's okay to let some of it slide these days. There is some 'learning' that can only happen in a classroom - only in the relationship between a student and a teacher. And that can't happen right now. It's okay. What they are given right now is 'work'. It's not the magic that happens in a classroom with a dedicated teacher who knows each student inside and out, the curriculum inside and out, the process of learning inside and out, the age/stage of those particular children inside and and out. Just like there is no replacement for the love of a family and for being home --- there is no replacement for a teacher and a student and learning that happens in a classroom. A tip to parents out there? Keep in mind that what they are doing at home right now is some 'work'. Some learning? Sure, but mostly just work. Your tips are great! Just keep in mind that there is no replacement for a wonderful teacher. And I surely hope this whole thing our world is going through right now doesn't become a battle once again between those moms who work vs those who work at home or a battle between moms who teach at home and those who are teachers.