We teach fully face to face starting on Monday. For the past two weeks, we’ve had 1/3 of our students each day and in two days everyone returns. Classrooms will be full and hallways will be bustling. As I think back on our two weeks with small numbers of students, much has been revealed to me.
First of all, it is hard to be masked for 6 hours a day. Necessary but hard. We took mask breaks outdoors. Once outside and at a distance of 6 feet or more, we pulled down our masks. We smiled at each other across the grassy field, and I was struck by how much comfort a smile can bring. I miss those smiles in our classroom. A LOT. I also realized I use that smile to charm and build rapport with my students. It’s debilitatating to have that important classroom management tool yanked from my toolbox. I hope the students can begin to see the smile at the corners of my eyes or hear it in the pitch of my voice. I hope I can start to see the smiles in their eyes, too.
Next, classes were cut to a third of the students to ensure social distancing in the classroom. An unintended gift of the past two weeks has been the precious time I’ve had to really get to know my students before we start the rigors of the academic school year. We’ve discussed our feelings about returning using the “Mood Meter” tool, played “Name Games,” and swapped riddles. In my 4th hour this week, I only had one student, Joey. It was awkward for a bit; I’ll admit, but then something sweet happened. He was completing a “Getting to Know You” survey and had just answered a question about what HE could teach me. This led to us playing a solitaire card game until the end of the hour. We did not share cards, in case you were worried. But we did have the best darn time as I watched him try to get his stack of cards down to 0.
Finally, and this realization makes me nervous, you really can’t keep kids away from each other. We are a very communal species. We want to be near each other, and my students are no exception. As we logged into Google Classroom for the first time, my eye caught a glimpse of a sweet girl getting up to help a boy who was having trouble with his log in. She wanted to help and she has been taught all through her schooling to look out for others. To lend a hand when someone else is struggling. That is how we build a sense of community in our classrooms, after all. It breaks this teacher’s heart to even consider discouraging these acts of kindness, but I will… to keep everyone safe.
So Monday we go back fully face to face. And I will be honest; I’m scared, but I’m going to pull out my grit, the courage I know is there, and work my hardest to keep the students and myself safe and healthy.
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