Adapt... Switch Gears... Pivot...
That is what we are told again and again by those that have no concept of the stress we are under. NONE. I have been in survival mode for so long in my job just figuring out everything on a day to day and hour by hour basis. I can't even explain the stress. A couple of weeks ago I had a big meltdown. I regrouped, recovered, and got myself going again. I don't know how many more of these transitions I have in me.
We're going back full time all students. No big deal right? Just do what you do every year when you have all your students... Uh yeah... These students that are coming back we know them, we know their families, we know what instructional level they were at when they left to "home-school" They've done NOTHING for a year! NOTHING! They didn't do virtual school, nor "home-school". Please note that I am not anti-home-school many people do it well and do it right. I'm anti people who stay home for a year and don't work with their kids at all and expect me to get them somewhere.
I'm watching my class size grow exponentially since we announced we were coming back full time. I still have to socially distance them. I don't know where I will put them! Every day students are added to all of our classes and our stress levels increase. Twice this year I've had to integrate students into my class from other rooms because teachers quit or were moved. I've had to switch from virtual to hybrid to virtual to in person. I can't be effective in ANY WAY in this situation! NONE kids should NEVER have been pulled out of school... the impact academically, emotionally, socially, you can't even IMAGINE how far behind they are in all those areas.
Stupid me decided last January to sign up for a Reading Endorsement. Then we went into quarantine after one class. They have not made this process easy and the pressure has been insane. They are completely tone deaf to what it means to teach full time and do their class. This last class has about done me in.
I keep telling myself to keep moving forward.. I just don't know how many more times I can do this. Our admin is clueless to the pressure we are under, they don't listen. Just keep teaching... TO WHO??? The kids who have been learning and are on grade level, the kids who are ahead, the kids who are 2 years behind? The last group is growing and growing. We need help.
