Searching for Balance in Your Universe

As we begin a new week of extended eLearning, I know that many are searching for balance in this new work at home life. Some are trying to juggle taking care of our own children's basic and educational needs along with helping to address the needs of our students at the same time. Others are caring for elderly parents or family members who are sick, while trying to plan lessons that may be beyond the reaches of your own comfort zone. Many of us are trying to find a boundary between work and home when they are both happening simultaneously, in the same space, and around the clock. Dedicated to be excellent in both areas, how do we make it work? How do we preserve our sanity?

Suggestions for Bringing Balance to the Force

Live streaming is great for connecting with students, and it definitely can play an important role in the days and weeks ahead. However, you do not need to live stream your teaching every day! Tools like Screencastify, Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia, Adobe Spark Video, Touchcast, Apple Clips, and FlipGrid can be used to create short instructional tutorials or video lessons for students. I've even see teachers using the filters in Snapchat to create quick video instructions! Sharing pre-recorded videos, hyperdocs, or Google Slides with clear instructions and valuable resources through your LMS or similar platform is an effective way to provide instruction for students, while making yourself available to help students along the way.   

Give students something to look forward to each day! I've heard of a teacher who wears a different crazy wig each day to entice students to check on what he has posted. A friend of mine is changing the pun on her light up sign to share with students each day. Many schools are doing a Virtual Spirit Week to give students something to look forward to each morning. Logging in to see your face, hear your voice, play a online game, go on a virtual field trip, watch an educational video, listen to an engaging read aloud, or work on a creative project will keep students engaged and learning in the days ahead. Few will continue to log on if they are only doing so because of our expectations, but many are logging in because of the relationships teachers have worked to establish and the exciting things you have prepared.

As you embark on eLearning, focus on collecting ONE weekly assessment that reflects student learning throughout the week. This evidence of learning might be a journal, essay, multimedia project, or quiz. Though you will be posting a number of activities and resources for learning each day, trying to collect daily assignments will make everyone (teachers, students, parents, administrators, and counselors) want to pull their hair out! So many of our kids are working through the same significant stress and anxiety that we are also feeling, and I would love if “school” and learning could be a positive experience each day without adding additional worry. I know many teachers are using tools like FlipGrid, Quizizz, Quizlet, GimKit, Desmos, and EdPuzzle to provide students with formative feedback to drive their learning, and this is critical. However, do not try to collect and grade daily assignments for each student!

Not all of our students will be able to keep pace throughout the week, and assignments may take longer to complete without a teacher physically present to keep students "on track." Consider using Friday as a catch up and enrichment day. Offer time for those who need to "catch up" alongside some fun activities or resources for those who have kept pace. I've see some great virtual scavenger hunts, virtual field trips, and ideas for snuggling up with a good book! Keep it simple, and be available to the student who have questions or concerns about wrapping up for the week.

Stay connected with your colleagues, and reach out for help if you feel overwhelmed! For the teachers at RC Edwards, I set up a Good Morning chat for our teachers using WebEx called "Preisig Perk." It's just a chance to check in with colleagues and enjoy coffee  and conversation together.  In addition, my teammate hosts another WebEx session called "Lunch with Lu" that allows for a casual debrief at the end of our morning hours. For those that can't pop in during our live WebEx chats, we are also using FlipGrid to connect and share reflections. In addition, I know after hours FaceTime chats with teaching buddies have also been a vital component to staying sane. We all need adult interactions and support during these crazy times. Together, we've got this!

Establish time for yourself and your family, and stick to it! I know it is very easy for me to allow "work life" to take over because the job is never done... even in normal times. Perhaps setting family time hours, in which all devices and distractions are put away, will be a helpful way to find balance for the entire family. We've been trying to go for a walk, play tennis, or kick the soccer ball each day. In addition to family meals and playing with the boys out in the yard, I've also tried to set aside personal time to enjoy a good cup of coffee and a good book each weekend. Somehow a good book is like an escape to another world, and it feels good to get away from it all.

3 Things

Today, I am thankful for a spacious backyard that allows us to escape the confines of our home, my Kindle that provides and endless supply of good reads, and the discovery of our old bread machine that allowed me to make some delicious, fresh bread over the weekend.

A New Journey

About a week and a half ago (when our little corner of the Earth was still "normal"), Paige Cole led professional development for our faculty on Smuggling Writing Across Content Areas. I love participating in sessions conducted by the #RockstarTeachers at my school, and this PD did not disappoint! In addition to earning the applause of her colleagues, Paige's session also planted a seed for me to begin blogging once again. So... not quite sure how to start other than jumping in with both feet... here we go... 

The Journey Begins

Several weeks ago, we began to hear news out of China about a new Coronavirus COVID-19. There was talk of the virus spreading with the potential to reach a pandemic level, and while some people started to panic, others felt like the media was "sensationalizing." At the school, we began to talk regularly about hand washing and hygiene, and our team was discussing the status of upcoming field trips to places like Atlanta, California, and New York. Here at home, we were adopting a "wait and see" approach regarding our plans for Spring Break in San Francisco.

Just days later the virus started to pop up here in the United States. Sports and other gatherings started to cancel upcoming events. Field trips were being postponed. We were able to get a refund on our Spring Break trip and the hotel for our cancelled soccer tournament. Universities moved to online class meetings, and we were discussing what to do with the Spring Sports season. When Disney World closed, March Madness cancelled, and professional sports shut down, it got real pretty fast. It's certainly been a whirlwind! 

For the past several days, our teachers have been preparing for extended eLearning via Schoology and WebEx, while school is closed for an uncertain amount of time. I am super proud of the teamwork and collaboration on display by #teamRCE and educators all across the globe. Together, we've got this!

Navigating the Uncertain Road Ahead  

The one thing that is certain looking ahead is that the road will twist and turn... sometimes suddenly and perhaps without warning. Plans are changing daily in response to new developments and needs. Our district continues to post daily updates here. We also created a newsletter for our #RCEfamily to communicate important reminders and school specific information. Communication is vital to our success as a school team.


We will definitely encounter bumps and potholes along the way, especially as we push our technology to the limits. In the newsletter above, we shared information about our technology support hotline and a link to our help desk Google Form, along with a troubleshooting tip sheet and WebEx Tutorial. These tools will help students as they encounter technology troubles along the way. In addition to our own Media Specialist providing support in this area, our SDPC AITS has systems in place to support students and teachers with technology. Patience and flexibility will certainly be required as we move forward.

Students will need us, now more than ever before, to provide stability, support, and connection. This is where our teachers and support staff truly shine! All of our teachers have already posted a video message and a link to the RCE Student Check-in Form for their homeroom classes. This form allows us to gather information about student needs, which our team can use to follow-up with families. We will also be working with teachers to find out which students are not "checking in," and it will be essential for our team to make contact with those students as soon as possible. Beyond meeting their educational needs, we want to be sure that every student and family has access to the food and emotional support they need during these uncertain times. Our flexibility and team culture will be put to the test during this journey, but together, we've got this!

Looking Ahead...

This week I'm planning to start each day by sharing coffee with any teachers that are willing to pop in to my virtual space to say, "Good Morning!" We will be using WebEx to host live class sessions, so I thought that would be a good tool for touching base. Honestly, I'm looking for something that feels "normal," and welcoming teachers as they enter the building with a warm cup of coffee in my hand and some good background music is my favorite way to start everyday. If this goes well, I am planning to find a way to host a time with students as well. 

On a regular school day, I try to get into classrooms as much as possible... this keeps me "in the know" about what our students are learning and how they are doing each day. As the person responsible for all of our social media accounts, getting into classrooms also provides excellent content to share with our #RCEcommunity. So, I'm looking for a way to drop in on on our virtual classrooms without being a disturbance or distraction or causing distress. Ideas are welcomed! 

3 Things

Today, I am thankful for my boys who have tried really hard to be good to one another, my dog Pepper who is loving every minute of this social distancing here at home, and my husband who helped make dinner tonight.