Tuesday, March 14, 2023
I wasn’t going to post today. I really wasn’t. I just didn’t have a good idea for this week after my Monday’s post other than Fashion Files and Friday Favorites. This doesn’t happen to me very often. I also have a very busy week, so I was going to go easy on myself.
But, I got to school yesterday and people were saying it was the 3 year mark of March 13, 2020. It really made me pause and I did some reflection, not for the first time, of course.
In my school district, March 13th was the last day these halls would see students until April 8th, 2021.
So much has happened in my life since then:
my twins made their college decision a few weeks after schools shut down (luckily we had finished our visits), they finished their senior year at home, they took all of their AP exams from home, they literally had a drive by graduation and were handed diplomas through the car window, they left for college, I worked from home for the first time in my life, I became an empty nester in one fell swoop, I qualified for retirement if I wanted, I turned 50, Tom and I learned a new routine in our new stage of life…
Gosh, our country, our state, our city, our school district, everyone – did some really crazy things. I guess we didn’t know what we didn’t know.
I know I’m not a nurse or doctor, but I do feel that teachers were on the front lines.
We are still seeing fall out, but I can happily say that most kids are unmasked, smiling, talking, laughing, and opening up again. Real learning is taking place again. Last year was freaking hard. This year is so much better, from my point of view.
I’m definitely not trying to celebrate the anniversary, but to reflect on it.
If you care to share, leave me a comment!
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
I agree that teachers were and still are on the front line. I’m an Elementary School Counselor and I love being back with the kids. I really don’t like hearing the COVID excuse, because we have all adapted. I firmly believe that if we have high expectations, kids will rise to meet them.
Thanks for your blog-it keeps me sane! BTW- I’m on year 38 in education and I’m still going! Hugs!
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Yes! I don’t want to use it as an excuse, but it does put things in perspective with some of my struggling students. I agree with having high expectations. Wow – 38 years is amazing! Thank you so much!
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So hard to believe 3 years have gone by already; in some regards it feels like it just happened last year… probably because we are seeing so much fallout in all those areas that are scrambling to “catch up.” I don’t remember when everything shut down up here but it seemed to happen slowly and in weird stages.
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I feel the same – it seems not that long, but also like many lifetimes ago! Some things seemed to happen suddenly and others seemed slow. So weird, right?
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I am so glad that those three years are behind us. I do feel irreparable damage has been done to our students. Academically and emotionally we have a long way to go.
I do feel so badly for all who missed out on all of those special events, my own son included as his college graduation was virtual.
xo,
Kellyann
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I am, too, but if you would have told us that it would take 3 years to feel mostly normal, we could not have handled that, right? We do have a long way to go and I think the tech addiction took hold in a very evil way during those 3 years.
I am so sorry that he missed that. So sad. I still get teary eyed over some hurts from that time.
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It is crazy that it has been 3 years. We went back in October for about a month in a hybrid model, stayed home for half of November and all of December, and went back to hybrid in January. It is crazy to think how much has happened in 3 years. I agree that teachers were out there in the thick of things and being very people-y. I agree that this year feels more back to normal, but there is some definite fall out for kids and adults. I’m pretty grateful to be teaching all these little people in person today!
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That actually sounds sensible. Ours was really challenging because of such a big district. I am so grateful even though I am so tired! Ha!
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It was sensible but it was so hard to hybrid teach for so long. You couldn’t really move around because you need the online kids to see and hear you.
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I’ve been thinking about the anniversary date as well, because the last thing we did was a huge family birthday party for my boys, then the whole world shut down. We never anticipated that being the last thing we’d do as a big group, but I guess it was a good way to end things if things had to end the way they did. I remember thinking how sad it was for the teachers to not get to go back to work…for us here that week had been spring break, so things seemed so normal when everyone left that Friday, and then nobody could even get into the buildings to pack up their belongings. I have several friends who did go ahead and opt to retire that same year, but what a sad note for them to end on! I love and hate thinking back on that time…so many sad things happened in our world, but for us it was also a memorable time of everyone being under our roof before things changed drastically the next year. I do remember also going crazy with all the togetherness!
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Aww -how special and how bittersweet. Some things in my family haven’t gone back to “normal”. I have so many emotions – both professionally and personally. Some of the higher ups made some crazy decisions, but I also feel empathy toward them. Ah – so much to process and reflect upon!
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Oh thank you for sharing and thank you for the reminder-not one I like to celebrate but I like to see how far we have come since the world shut down- for us it was on Friday the 13th. Our kids never went back to school in 2020 but our district pivoted to an online learning model almost immediately-it was impressive and were grateful. The following Fall the kids went back but to a hybrid model- my 1st grader was allowed to attend every day and my 7th grader attended a few days a week and did online learning the other few days. It wasn’t ideal but it was a good bandaid- God Bless Our Teachers! I will never take for granted again SCHOOL, activities, coffee with a friend, mass, school assemblies, shopping and just being around people again 🙂 Thank you for leading the way!
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That really sounds like a sensible plan! Our district is so big with so many challenges, but I still don’t think we did enough or the right thing but again, we just didn’t have a lot of good information. You are way more informed than the average parent with hub on school board!
Me too – never will take it for granted even as I am exhausted with our “Normal”!
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I love that you reflected on this day. When pics of my kids pop up in “memories,” they stop me in my tracks because of the masks. It’s seems like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. You really had so many milestones during that time.
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Can you do a post on boat essentials please. We just bought our first tritoon
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Just so crazy to think about 3 years ago. My life has changed drastically since then. I am thankful we are able to go out and about again with more freedoms!
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Oh my, time flies… As I told you, Swedish schools kept business as usual (my school did home teaching for one week…) and it was so strange to be out and about! The only people on the streets (literally) were teachers, students (only primary) and parents leaving younger children… Imagine that your school was closed for a year!? Is it really true!? Otherwise I had a nice period, I’m a little bacteria phobic anyway… But… oh… Florida! I can’t believe we haven’t been there for four (4!) years!
Thank you for this post, it’s good to be reminded…
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My school district also sent us home on 3/13/2020. We had the following week off to learn how to use Google Meet and get ready for remote learning and then the week after was spring break. My younger son graduated HS in May 2019, so he came home from college in March 2020 and did his classes remotely. My older son started working remotely too. I felt like a frontline worker and believe I was because I went back in person in September 2020! Yes September 2020! Very, very scary. Some teachers in my district were allowed to be remote for the 2020-2021 school year, but they needed a doctor’s note and basically the principals decided how many teachers could be remote as well as who could be remote. I got denied. It was unfair. At my school 2/3 of the students, over 800, were remote that year. I had one in person student in one class, three in another class—so very few in person. I really enjoyed getting to know the in person students, but I was totally stressed out by the lack of participation and even defiance of some of the remote students. I wore a mask and a plastic shield and was totally stressed! I’m so glad it’s over!
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It is so hard to look back on that time, so many different emotions! Our schools went back in August 2020 but everyone had to be fully masked. My son (as well as us as parents) decided it was best for him to go back even if he was in a mask so many hours a day. That school year was weird but were thankful for teachers, staff and admin that made it possible. 2021 started in masks but by Feb/March 2022 it was optional and this year has thankfully felt way more “normal”. I hate the fallout we’re seeing from that time but we knew that was inevitable, too bad it wasn’t just 2 weeks!
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Thank you for sharing your reflections. It’s so hard to believe 3 years have passed. What a strange time it was. I’m thankful that Jack was able to go back in person for Fall 2020, but it was still a strange and stressful year. I agree about the fallout for our students, especially with some so addicted to technology. I will probably share this post on my blog since it resonated with me so much.
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