2020-2021 Digital Scrapbook

I really didn't think I'd do much professionally this school year... 

          except TEACH MY HEART OUT!

Before I start, I want to make a timeline of what my own personal school year PHYSICALLY looked like...

• Summer had us "all in," until suddenly we were "all remote."
• September 1 - we started all remote. Teachers taught from the school building unless they qualified for accommodations. (September 4 - I cried like I haven't cried since going through my divorce. I thought nothing could be worse than teaching students on a screen.)
• October 19 - my grade (7th) came for hybrid. T/Th were kids with last names A-K. W/F were kids with last names L-Z. Mondays were remote for everyone, and the schedule was different, to allow for teachers to plan for this absolute madness. I found out that there IS something worse than teaching ONLY students on a screen. Kids were sometimes in the building, and sometimes not, and we really had no clue who would be in front of us and who would be at home. Getting attendance  right each period was vital, due to contact tracing, and it took a good five minutes (after spraying tables and getting kids into Zoom)...
• December 2 at the end of the day - teachers at OUR school (just one of two middle and nine elementaries) were sent home due to the IDPH "strongly suggesting" we close the school because of the number of cases we'd had on the second floor.
• December 8 we could teach from the building once again; all students were remote.
• December 15 we were back to hybrid.
• December 18 we were back to remote. (Yes. One day before winter break.)
• January 19 we were back to hybrid. My planning partner/friend started an FML.
• January 21 we were "all in" (with kids still on Zoom). Of course, it happened again. "All in" is at the discretion of parents who chose this option. My NEW planning partner suddenly had to teach remotely. This was the third hardest day of my school year.
• January 26 I wrote a "glimpse in the day of a middle school teacher" to the school board - it was the next hardest day of my school year. Oh, and the sub had a sub. And I was writing sub plans AND going into school. Who knew it could get more difficult?
• April 26th we were "all in" (with kids still on Zoom) EVERY day of the week. No more remote Mondays. No more "all in one place at least once a week." No more 1:1 conversations with kids. No more breakout rooms. No matter what I said, did, who I wrote, who I cried to. If my voice was heard, it was not valued.

JUNE
- Nada. Zip. Zilch.

AUGUST

- Um... all on my own, with tech teachers from my school and other teachers who'd tried it... I learned how to use a second monitor. I remember educators on Twitter saying once you use it, you can't go back, and now I know how that rings true!

SEPTEMBER

- I learned how to use an external camera, a document camera, and Apple AirPlay. I learned how to make magic using my hands and by growing an extra eye somehow to see the kids, the work, the direct messages, the emails, the GChat pop ups, etc.

- I learned how to keep work at work (really for the most part), so I can decompress and process the day at home.

DECEMBER
- #DitchSummit thanks to Matt Miller and sooooo many fabulous educators!

- Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead) was published!

JANUARY

- I signed up for the Leading Equity Summit thanks to Sheldon L. Eakins and sooooo many fabulous presenters... but I never made it to the videos on time, due to the insurrection at the Capitol and my need to know what was happening. I made it last year, and I'll make it NEXT YEAR again, for sure.

- Doodle & Chat - 1/30/21 - the theme was "explore."

- Began (and continued until June) #UWIEquity Challenge (weekly)

FEBRUARY

- "The Year of You" one-hour workshop hosted by Jen Vincent / Story Exploratory. I wasn't brave. As soon as she said, "We're going to go into breakout rooms," I bolted. I'd be a terrible remote student.

- EdCamp Madison! One Zoom link for the entire day. Nice to be able to talk with educators going through the same things.

- Began (and still continuing) a @MoocTsl class through MIT - #TSLEquity

APRIL

- EdCamp Elmbrook! Again, nice to have people who understood each other. I hosted a gratitude session for us to write letters or emails.

June

- June 11th - our last day of this school year. I survived, and I was fortunate to be able to keep my family safe. I will learn from the scars. I was able to reach a couple of students in a couple of ways, and I enjoyed just being able to be me with the seventh graders the last few weeks.

- Completed the weekly #UWIEquity Challenge. 

LIFE LESSONS this school year:

• I REALLY learned what I need to do in order to care for myself - mentally and physically. I hope I can call on these skills if/when life ever gets back to some semblance of "normal."
• I learned how to SLOW DOWN.
• I only have students for 80 min/day. I can only do so much. I'll simply try my best.
• I will strive for smiles and conversations every day.

Teagan (student who painted this) said, "That's YOU!"