For nearly a year I have avoided COIVED, but after feeling run down last Sunday - and having Kristie lose her taste and smell, we went in for a Monday morning COVID test. The results came in a few hours later: COVID. Luckily, I avoided any serious complications. I was tired often and felt like I had flu symptoms. Then I lost my taste and smell. In all, thanks for last Wednesday being a flex day and Monday being a PD day, I only "missed" five days of class. But I was able to teach via Zoom for those five days.
Now, I'm no fan of teaching via Zoom. In fact, I think I was actually far more effective at teaching when we were total distance last year, and I didn't Zoom at all. I just treated it like a total distance learning course: pushing out content via video tutorials, Classroom, and allowing students to call or text me when they had questions or even scheduling one-on-one Zooms with them.
But trying to teach via Zoom? It's terrible.
I didn't have a useful analogy for it, though, until I lost my taste and smell with COVID. This afternoon, for example, we made a turkey dinner, replete with dressing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
The turkey was tender. The gravy was rich. The mashed potatoes were made from real potatoes and were full and creamy.
But I couldn't taste or smell any of it. It 'felt' normal in my mouth, but it wasn't satisfying or even enjoyable.
Eating now - without taste and smell - is just basically, give me the nutrients and let's get this over with.
When I finished my last bite, I realized: this is exactly what teaching by Zoom is like.
Gone are engaging discussions. Gone is the interaction. Gone is the pleasure in knowing the kids are all learning and taking part because the knowledge and the 'light bulb' moment registers on their faces.
It's not from a lack of trying. Just like that great turkey dinner we put together, I try to design engaging lessons, but when I stare at 20 blank screens and five students who actually turn their cameras on, it just isn't satisfying or even enjoyable.
Teaching (and learning) now - without students in class - and just doing it via Zoom - is just basically, give me the work and let's get this over with.
And that's just the way it is going to be until we get the virus under control. In fact, I wholeheartedly agree with our decision to avoid going back in full person. I mean I caught COVID (most likely) as a result of opening up for sports (most likely during a trip to Valley City for a sixth grade basketball tournament).
I don't feel good that I'm not close to the teacher with 9 kids in my room and then the other 15 listening in via Zoom that I am if I had all 24 kids in class engaged together, but I can accept it.
That's as good as it's going to get I'm afraid.
Inside this week's Teaching Thoughts, you'll find -
Book of the Week - Captain Class by Sam Walker. This book is one I'm going to use next year with my Sports Lit class. Walker's book looks at the captains of the world's most successful teams. And what he finds are incredible. The leaders of this incredible teams are not the best players (in fact, rarely are the best players ever good leaders), but they are the most devoted and selfless and coachable. The great thing about that is that those things really don't take talent.
Video of the Week -Talk about great teams! The Olivet (Michigan) middle school football team executes a life altering play. This is what sports are all about.
Give This a Try in Your Classroom - SSR. The English department has been doing this in our classes for a few years now. Students' lives are so busy that they rarely have any unstructured time. That's what I love about SSR. They get 15 minutes to put their phones and laptops away and read whatever they want. So far, it has been going very, very well.
Bonus Content - Thanks to the Shifting Schools website, I found a free .pdf series called "Tapping into the Power of Podcasts." The download offers a plan for journaling on what they listen to, a list of recommended podcasts by grade level, and their plan for how to 'read' a podcast episode.
I hope you have a great week. If you are back in person, you are blessed. If you are distance learning or hybrid, keep making the most of it. Just know it's okay that it's not as engaging and rewarding as in-person learning.
PS - the background for this week's newsletter is from one of my all-time favorite artists, Piet Mondrain.
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