Thursday 26 March 2020

Thursday (is it Thursday?) March 26

I just had a childhood memory come flooding back to me as I typed the date as my post title. For any Canadians out there, do you remember the series on tv, The Swiss Family Robinson which was oh so very Canadian? Do you remember how the date would be narrated at the beginning with "in the year of our lord" ?  That went through my head when I was saying the date to myself. (At least, that's what I remember, but of course, I could be completely wrong).  If not, just ignore this part and carry on.

This morning I fired off a group email to the families of my students who can be contacted by email. I just wanted to reassure them that I was thinking of them and I was fine and all would be well eventually. Being as we had one day notice (in which we were all busy teaching) about all of this before doors were shut tight (and we didn't know they would be), many of us are at a loss because ALL of our "stuff" is at school. I am old fashioned in that I have files and binders and boxes of my lessons, units, papers... I do not keep things electronically for the most part because so much of what we do is hands on and fluid from one year to the next. As well, text books, anthologies, math manipulatives, charts, library books, etc. are all at school. We are not allowed in the school AT ALL. As well, online learning is fine (if we are actually trained how the heck to do this) for those children who have access to the internet and computers on which to work /  read /  research. Here in rural Ontario, that is not the case for all. In fact, I have a colleague who doesn't even have it at her own home because of where she lives. There are still some "dead zones" in terms of high speed internet around here. As well, how does one "teach" kindergarten, grade one ??? on the internet to one's students? Our wonderful kindergarten teachers have an outdoor classroom, they have hands-on learning centres that they change up throughout the year... It's all very mind boggling. My own two children are continuing their post secondary learning online, but even son has had a couple of things cancelled because he cannot do the hands-on learning required for his power engineering studies.

But here's the thing - everyone is in the same boat. We have never had to navigate this before - students or teachers. I reassured my "kidlets" that the classes they miss will not count against them! When we all get together again, whenever that will be, we'll just pick up where we left off. But I imagine that it's a different thing for our grade eights moving on into high school, or our grade twelve students getting ready to apply to college or university. Life will go on, and twenty years from now, those few missed weeks (?) months (?) won't matter. Regardless, unsettling times for all. (And just so you don't think I'm slacking off, we are currently waiting for specific details and direction as to what we should be doing and then we will all, as educators, dive in with the same dedication as always).

Now, moving on to the super important things, such as... puzzle progress!!!!


All done. 'Twil be boxed up today. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment ( I have three more puzzles!) Edge of your seat stuff.

This morning's breakfast was just a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats cereal. Don't care.
Yesterday's was two scrambled eggs with sautéed onions. My mom always put onions in her scrambled eggs. Actually pretty much any food could be improved with the addition of onions in her opinion.


Mind blowingly exciting!

I have discovered the world of Tiktok, an app for short videos. My young adult children guided me through it and I can't tell you how many evening hours can be wasted swiping your way through videos of older teens trying to teach their pathetic parents how to dance, pets doing funny things, and nurses making light-hearted fun of their very serious decontamination routines upon returning home. Tried to get the app on husband's paleolithic cell phone, but not to be done, so he'll just have to listen to me chuckling away from my side of the room.

Take care, this too shall pass.

36 comments:

  1. The normalcy of such posts are what we all need to read. Life going on as usual if perhaps not quite as exciting. I have been amazed at teachers and how they are finding ways to reach out to their students and even in many cases, still teaching. You all have my utmost respect.

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  2. I thought I remembered the Swiss Family Robinson and looked them up on YouTube. Surprise surprise I got them mixed up with 'Lost in Space'!
    So much for memory.

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  3. There certainly are a lot of changes happening now. But we all will make it through. I've seen warnings on FaceBook about TikTok (I think it was that app). Be careful and stay safe. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

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  4. Yes - we will make it and what is more we may come out the other side having got our priorities right. Stay well.

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  5. Oh yes, I remember watching the Swiss Family Robinson on TV. I loved the original book when I was a kid too. Read it several times. Looking forward to seeing what your next jigsaw puzzle is! I know, I know . . . .

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  6. I used to LOVE that show!!! I'm still working from home, which I am loving....waiting on a call right now that was supposed to be 5 mins ago (grrrr) - nice to see the 'normalcy' in your post. Stay well, my friend.

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  7. I remember the film Swiss Family Robinson with John Mills. We were taken to the pictures (cinema) to see it and I can still remember it, who sat in front of me (another girl from my school} who went silly and started screaming and I felt very grown up when I didn't.

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    1. Don't think I've ever seen the movie. This was just a tv show, weekly, I suppose.

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  8. I remember Swiss Family Robinson too. I so wanted to live in a tree house like the one they built.

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    1. It was a pretty amazing tree house. So now I'm thinking it was not a Canadian production after all, if so many of you internationally know it.

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  9. I don't recall that TV show, Swiss Family Robinson. Online learning is certainly a challenge both as a student and as instructor. One of my friends is an high school E/A & private tutor, she's using a lot of already created source material for her tutoring aspects, she reviews the actual lesson, refers them to said uTube or other material, assigns homework, takes questions. It all sounded so simple ... Still thinking that this was your last year before retiring? I agree with your Mom, onions (& garlic too) add some zest to just about anything. My own Mother use to eat orange & onion, sprinkled with brown sugar sandwiches ... =^..^= Mary-Lou

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    1. Yes, she would peel the orange then slice it & the onions, she'd then sprinkle brown sugar over the onion & the top piece of bread. As children we were all forced to try at least once. I don't think any of us continued after the first taste, although I have one brother that eats onions like an apples.

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  10. One thing about this having to stay at home is that you're posting more often! (I know you didn't have the time while teaching full-time.) Anywho, it's enjoyable seeing your more frequent posts and feel free to ramble on (said in a sincere complimentary way!) about your every day life. Very enjoyable to read.

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  11. I crave onions in my eggs something crazy! Last fall I discovered that I am severely allergic to them. Long standing GERD cleared up within a week when I stopped eating them. Food will never be the same.

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  12. Sending hugs to you...😍
    Stay safe...

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  13. I have just found your blog. It does make this current situation easier to bear when you know that everyone else is also going through this too. It is interesting to read about how people are dealing with it in different parts of the world.

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  14. I also remember watching Swiss Family Robinson on TV. It’s a shame that kids today don’t have shows like that to watch.
    I enjoy reading your blog. Some days it’s comforting to know that people on the other side of the world are feeling much the same as me. I also have a jigsaw puzzle on the go and sometimes when I find the right piece I get so excited I have to take a nap!

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    1. I like a clearly defined world, organization, and schedules. This goes against my grain.

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  15. Just a heads up, read somewhere that Tik tok is data mining and gathering ....be careful with your personal information.

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  16. Lovely puzzle; well done. I wish this could pass sooner than it will.

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  17. Sometimes I'm so relieved I have a stupid phone or I would fall in. I remember my mom telling me that when she went to high school there was a graduation in January and one in June. Some of the kids shared the same classes, I suppose like juniors and seniors can mix in some class electives. I thought, how odd -- losing some of your friends several months before you graduated. But now I wonder if it might not be that way again. Will kids repeat a whole year? Go a half year? Go in the summer? No one knows. No one knows anything about this...

    The only Swiss Family Robinson I remember is the Disney movie of long ago. I loved that film.

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  18. I remember Swiss Family Robinson and Lost In Space And Land Of The Giants and Skippy and Flipper. Whew! Nostalgia.

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  19. I remember that show but never really got into it. This virus stuff is new to everyone. We're all trying to create a new normal as we get through it.

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  20. This is a new experience and will test, and perhaps change, the way we have been accustom to living - our safe haven in our every day hum-drum existence. When we come out of this, and we will, things will never be the same: things will have changed - we will all think differently.
    the Ol'Buzzard

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