The state of Iowa has given schools three options: 1) hold mandatory online school, 2) offer non-graded/optional learning support, or 3) do nothing and make up the missed days in some future time/space.
Many schools like Atlantic, with a number of students lacking reliable internet access, are selecting option #2.
Of the 400+ students in our building, 25 showed up on our first day to help us experiment with the platform. We spent five minutes of our time together trying to help a student access her "gallery view." We then sunk another 10 minutes into a mass-frenzy of experimenting with virtual backgrounds. During our final 10 minutes, we read this poem and four students piped up to explain their interpretations and analyses.
Was it learning? In some ways.
Was it of value? Maybe.
These are the questions teachers ask ourselves every day during our planning and reflection. And if we're honest, our answers are often: "In some ways" and "Maybe."
I do believe many of the students who showed up today felt welcomed, encouraged, and valued.
 |
| The AHS English Lockdown Classroom opens today. |
-----
Day two of a 500-piece bird puzzle with my mom.
We were making good headway! We had fewer than 50 pieces to go when I left for a run to town.
When I got home, I brought down Vern's dog food and glanced at the Ping-Pong table where we'd been working on the puzzle.
Nothing.
"What happened to the puzzle?" I (kindly) shrieked.
"Oh! It was finished, so I put it away," my mother explained. "I thought you knew it was finished!"
Pause.
The only reason we were working on a puzzle in the first place was to offer my mom a distraction from the nothingness that stretches out before her each day. Whether or not I saw the complete puzzle did not matter in the least. Then why did I feel wronged?
This is a puzzle.
Enough.
Stay well.
Write.
Allison
Showing up is important. Thanks for showing up for your students. They are lucky.
ReplyDelete