Today was rainy and dark when I woke up. I had been dreaming I was in college, and running late for class (which, apparently, I was supposed to get to using a boat). It was 7:30, over an hour later than I normally awaken for work, and I could hear cars occasionally driving by outside. At the rumble of a large truck, I woke fully panicking, remembering today is the first day of bringing our garbage to the curb- and I had forgotten.
My town has a wonderful waste-management company that goes into the driveway, and takes the trash. But in lieu of trying to get people home and out of public spaces as quickly as possible, and give the workers as little exposure to others as they can, this new proclamation has us rolling (or dragging, in the case of my garbage that is missing a wheel) the trash out to the street. So I rushed out, in full pajamas, winter coat, and hauling an umbrella over my head to try to stay dry, and managed to get the bins to the curb before the truck got to my house.
Then, I returned to begin the daily homeschooling lessons. Perhaps I should mention that I've been a teacher since 2008. Three years ago, I jumped to being a librarian, and worked in an elementary school for almost two years. Now, I am a high school librarian- I deal with tech daily, curate resources, lead online learning, and still. STILL.
I navigated major tears over here because the %&# Pearson math book online had two identical answers- but only one of them was right! And the box with the illustration for the problem - wait for it- covered up half the answers- so you couldn't look at it while decided what was correct. This is the argument for using paper and pencil to do math... Meanwhile, E. was on the floor freaking out because she had to use a number line, and just wanted to solve things using normal math (carry the one, subtract using normal "old fashioned" math). We took a "mommy-mandatory" time out for food, ate a snack and regrouped, and all I could hope was to make it through the rest of the assignments.
It's taken me two days, and I've undone Common Core. While I admit it may work for some, the idea of replacing one system because it didn't work for everyone, by forcing another system that does the same thing (forces kids to use something they don't understand) is not a good substitute. Let kids experiment with both, but if something works, and they like it, let them stick with that. Don't say "oh but here are five other alternatives that you have to learn as well. You figured out one that does, go with that." If something works for you, go with it.
The physical education assignment for my third grader was "work on your locomotor skills - go outside and practice walking, running, galloping, skipping, jumping and hopping!" However, it was pouring- so instead, my oldest was in her room, and it sounded/felt like the ceiling above my head was going to collapse in a heap of drywall and energetic legs. The Lego Challenge followed, with both girls creating rockets (each with windows- E.'s showed an astronaut, and R's was hollow, with pieces inside that moved when you shook it. "To show gravity", she said.
It's taken me two days, and I've undone Common Core. While I admit it may work for some, the idea of replacing one system because it didn't work for everyone, by forcing another system that does the same thing (forces kids to use something they don't understand) is not a good substitute. Let kids experiment with both, but if something works, and they like it, let them stick with that. Don't say "oh but here are five other alternatives that you have to learn as well. You figured out one that does, go with that." If something works for you, go with it.
The physical education assignment for my third grader was "work on your locomotor skills - go outside and practice walking, running, galloping, skipping, jumping and hopping!" However, it was pouring- so instead, my oldest was in her room, and it sounded/felt like the ceiling above my head was going to collapse in a heap of drywall and energetic legs. The Lego Challenge followed, with both girls creating rockets (each with windows- E.'s showed an astronaut, and R's was hollow, with pieces inside that moved when you shook it. "To show gravity", she said.
The sun eventually started to slice through the clouds, and since I was going stir crazy (to say nothing of my children), I forced the family into the backyard to run around. This turned into a walk around the block, where we were able to drop off a birthday present for a neighbor, along with her girl scout cookies (everything was left a driveway away, and she walked over to get it while we crossed the street).
One of my favorite memories is that while chatting across the street (#socialdistancing), my kids took it upon themselves to begin playing imaginary catch with their best friend, who lives a few houses away. The girls giggled and leapt, creating the illusion of dramatic grabs. Several houses away, two of the neighborhood boys did the same. The sight of this "new normal"- no actual contact, but still interacting and socializing- was still a beautiful thing. Hope finds a way.Back home, there was some videochatting with friends and grandparents- our glimpses into the lives of others, and the joy of seeing familiar faces. I'm grateful we live in an age where such things are possible. We had a family snuggle fest to watch Frozen II (which caused multiple bouts of crying- my own- damn you Disney for making beautiful movies), and got the kids to bed by reading a mermaid book to E. and the kids' version of How We Got To Now by Stephen Johnson to R. (each night we read a section- she's fascinated, and I'm glad because I read the adult version and love this book!).
Watching Cheers to unwind (thank-you Netflix) rounded out the day. When it doubt, go with the comfort show.
No comments:
Post a Comment