Why do I feel both exhausted and exhilarated?
These two seemingly opposite emotions have been my norm in recent weeks.
The increased screen time required to do my job (and connect with my grown children, brothers, and parents during our Sunday night Zoom meeting) is, most definitely, more draining since I spend hours each day staring at a screen.
On the other hand, the new opportunities for collaboration with colleagues (and my weekly family check-ins) has been an exciting addition. The amount I've learned about using digital tools is mind-blowing, and now that travel time between schools isn't part of the equation, I'm able to meet with more people each day.
See what I mean - it's exhausting, yet exhilarating!
And, it seems, that I am not the only one feeling both overwhelmed and excited at the same time. We are all still getting comfortable with the new teaching models in place across the country --- some of us are using a new online platform, some a hybrid model, and some are trying to teach with social distance rules in place --- I don't have to tell you that it ain't always easy! If that's not enough, in my district, we are using a brand new math curriculum because we needed one that would transition to remote learning more smoothly. Couple that with the fact that most of us simply prefer in-person teaching and learning where we can assess the subtleties of the whole learning process --- you know, reading student body language, building a community of learners through all of the little things we do during the school day, and providing emotional support to individuals with a simple smile, nod, or kind word.
Recently, a colleague reminded me that I need to give myself SPACE for GRACE. I was stressed because I didn't feel prepared to support my fellow teachers as they ventured into this strange start to the school year with a brand new curriculum (the instructional standards weren't changing, so that was a relief!). She reminded me that I needed to give myself SPACE and time to learn what I needed to know and GRACE when I overburdened myself with a feeling that I should have known it "yesterday". I then found myself having the same conversation with dozens of colleagues who, like me, were experiencing moments of stress and panic because they are fantastic teachers who don't (yet!) know how to do their best job under their new circumstances. I found myself offering the same advice: Make Space for Grace
Here are a few ideas that got me started making that Space and giving myself Grace:
- Recognize that I do not have all of the answers - heck, I don't even have all of the questions!
- Be open to new ideas, new learning, and new ways of doing things - this openness will likely get me many of those answers that I do not yet have.
- Collaborate - Let's not be alone during this time of "social isolation". I will ask for help when I need it, and I will extend my hand when others need help.
- Assess the content more critically - Which topics can students not learn on their own and will need greater support? Which topics allow for simple exposure, which need to be further explored, and which ones require full mastery? I can't do it all in a remote or hybrid model, so I need to make better decisions to ensure effective instruction. After all, maintaining high standards is not achieved by cramming the same work load into a smaller space at a faster pace. I must look for ways to ensure engaging levels of rigor without making students and teachers feel like they were run over by a 100-car train going 150 mph!
- And finally, embrace the silver linings of the situation - sure, our current teaching model is not ideal for many reasons, but, I have started to notice so many things that are (surprisingly) even better than they were previously. What silver linings have you noticed? Embrace them!
