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.