I'm not going to wax philosophical for too long about these new circumstances because we all get it. Might as well conserve my energy.
What I do want to talk about here, for the next little while anyway, is what I'm doing now.
My context is that I'm an English teacher in Edmonton, Alberta. I have one class of grade 9, 2 classes of 10 (a mix of -2, -1, AP) and 2 classes of 30 (-2, -1, AP). Around 27 of my students plan on writing the English Literature and Composition AP Exam in May, which has been modified to a 45 minute online writing exam.
I already use Google Classroom with my classes, and I'm fairly good with the internet (microsoft products notwithstanding).
Classes have been cancelled but schools have not been closed. Provincial achievement exams are cancelled but students who were on track to graduate and earn credits will still do so. We are all (we being teachers across Alberta) moving, as best we can, to a distance learning model, even while knowing that not all students have equitable access to technology. I am also keenly aware of those students living in unsafe or unstable circumstances.
What are my responsibilities right now and for the rest of the year? I mean, there are so many things to worry about and address, but I can only start small and go from there.
- To do the best I can to ensure that my students will be where they need to be, with both skills and with knowledge, by the end of this year.
- To manage my own grief and stress.
- To wash my hands and stop touching my face.
