Well, we’ve settled in. Kind of.
We’ve found a routine. Sort of.
It’s funny how just a few days can be filled with numerous learning lessons, even some lessons that you thought you already knew. Or, better yet, thought you knew them so well that they were regular ways of being. Surprise! New landscape, new challenges, new learning for everyone — especially me!
Teacher Mom in Action
I love lists — in that spirit, here’s my Top 5 List from the past few days:
My boys are brothers. They used to be best friends. Time and age have pulled them apart a bit over the past 18 months. That’s been a natural part of their growth and development as individuals, I think. Now, as of this week, they are learning how to be friends again. This could become one of the hidden treasures tucked inside this awful pandemic.
Learning is social. I believe this to my core. I have read the research and created action research for myself and those I serve that puts this foundational belief into practice. I’m now seeing firsthand how hard it can be for kiddos when they don’t have the social capital [the amazing stuff their peers bring to the table each day] they need and want in their living, breathing, learning space. Learning IS social. Kiddos not only want it, they need it!
Books and stories bring out the best in us —especially when they touch our heads and our hearts. In an attempt to create a learning community for my two sons and me, we started reading Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech. In just a few days, we’ve each taken an important role in contributing to our collective learning by:
Sharing the role of guest reader for read aloud
Curating and sharing other short texts [website, video, article, infographic] that can help us learn new information about donkeys
Writing about our reading — our thoughts, wonderings, questions, feelings
I thought that I’d only have time to teach and work with my own kids. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been time consuming and emotion consuming. But, what I’m learning is that what I do for myself is also very important. When I fuel myself, I can then add to the fuel for others. As a result, I’ve spent time digging back into my writing projects and plan to create a schedule for myself beginning next week. And, I’ve rediscovered my excitement about cooking again. I cook all of the time — it’s impossible to not cook for a family of 5 — but I’m inspired by getting organized around meal-planning and recipes, digging up some old favorites and trying new ones. And, kale chips, right out of the oven, makes everything better!
5. Thinking partners matter. That’s true for kids and it’s true for adults. I am thankful for the colleagues and friends I’ve connected with this week. There are no rules around the content between thinking partners — thank goodness! Some highlights include text messages, emails, sharing Google docs, and video chats to co-plan online learning opportunities for kiddos, noodling drafty ideas about what really matters in schools, mom crews sharing ideas to support learning at home, and swapping soup recipes. Thankful for each of these experiences — a true lifeline during tricky times!
In other updates — my college freshman is unpacking. One bag per day because…why not? She decided she has 4-5 months to get it done so what’s the hurry!