Teaching During Covid-19 SUCKS

 Covid-19 and Teaching

The For-Real-REAL of Teaching During a Pandemic

Let's take a moment to reflect on the past year during this absolutely devastating pandemic. Ok, I'm done now. I mean DONE! This year has been the weirdest, most stressful, irritating, and exhausting year in teaching I have ever experienced. This has been the only school year where I have heard almost 100% of my colleagues wonder why they are in education in the first place. 

Let me just take a moment to express some of the things that have been most irritating about this year: 

• Virtual learning and taking attendance. This one is comical because most educators I have met say they are lucky if 50% of their students show up. 
• Attendance doesn't count...but it also does. How does that work exactly?
• Wearing a mask. Need I say more?
• No field trips? Not even OUTSIDE...where we can socially distance...
• VIRTUAL LEARNING IS NOT THE SAME AS LEARNING IN CLASS!!!
• Kids have to remember to bring a water bottle. I don't know about you, but my kid rarely remembers not to eat boogers, so bringing a water bottle is stretching it. 
• Social distancing at the lunch table. Really?! Everyone is breathing on EVERYONE!
• Bleached clothing due to Covid-19 cleaning products. I cannot tell you how many students walked around with bleached jean-butts the first couple of weeks of school.
• Having to tell students OVER AND OVER to social distance, even though they hang out with each other after school!
• Contact tracing. This works with little kids who will listen to the teacher, not alternative learning high school students. 
• Accidentally burping into your mask...let's face it, we have all done it. 

Ultimately, if you have stuck out this year and are still coming back for another year, you are absolutely a trooper! As much craziness as this pandemic has caused, I have learned a lot, seen many good, and watched people be resilient and come together in difficult situations.