Teaching During a Pandemic, 4th Week by Vikki Reid

 

     WhAt I LeArNeD In ScHoOl THIS WEEK?

I learned that when a social media post goes viral, you FINALLY receive the attention from administration you’ve been asking for (negative attention is STILL attention...)

I learned that teachers were “never” promised more than one 16 oz refillable bottle of hand sanitizer, and that the 1-gallon jugs that were in our classrooms when we left in March were “stolen” over summer.

I learned that Costco has 1-gallon jugs of hand sanitizer for $7, and I personally purchased five for my classroom.

I learned that teachers were “never” promised that our classrooms would be arranged for us, and measured for appropriate social distancing at 6 feet apart; we were expected to measure and space our classrooms ourselves, and we are responsible for maintaining that spacing.

I learned that contact tracing is completed by our daily seating charts and by connecting students who are exposed to positive cases less than six feet apart. Teachers are STILL responsible for tracking students who remove their masks, who eat in the classroom, who leave their seats, who leave the classroom (and for how long) where they went, and how long they were gone. Did anyone sneeze? Did anyone cough? These are important details to note while trying to actually teach hybrid, which is online and in person, simultaneously. 

I learned that on Remote Wednesdays, the entire school is NOT being deep-cleaned; only classrooms that have had a Covid positive case are, and only on the day of the case exposure.

I also learned that when three grown men enter a women’s faculty washroom, a very effective way to remove excrement from the inside of a stall door is with a fingernail scraping it off.

I learned that our Covid positivity rate on our school Dashboard for the week of October 26-November 1st reported 1 student and 1 staff member; on the week beginning November 2 it reported 29 students and 9 staff members.

I learned according to the IDPH [Illinois Department of Public Health] website (most recent updates for school exposures), our district does not have ANY cases on the map as reported during the week of November 6th.

I learned by next week, I must also instruct my students on protocols for active shooter drills and communicate safety measures for school lockdowns, especially during a global pandemic.

And I learned the logical fallacy that, despite the recent CDC recommendations to forgo holiday experiences with MY family members within enclosed spaces this year, my school is still open, and I am exposed to approximately 50+ different families and their germs, while students are in my classroom each week.

So, what I’ve really learned is self-care for educators is PARAMOUNT. SEL [Social Emotional Learning] applies to US, as well as the students we have been nurturing.

I’ve learned more than ever that I am EXHAUSTED because the devaluation of educators is steamrolling this profession. And I have realized that despite a school charter that pledges a collective unity based on rights for faculty and staff, I do not feel SAFE in my workplace.

Does any or all of this influence the effectiveness of my instruction?

ABSOLUTELY.   -Vikki Reid