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.