Items

• 2020-12-04

  First and Second Year Teaching During A Pandemic

  October 2019 saw me beginning my first full-time teaching job in the county that I grew up in. Six weeks into school, I was thrown into 4 classrooms of 8th graders who had been verbally beaten down by their beginning of the year teacher. He had told them they were stupid, worthless and pieces of trash that would never get anywhere in life. The first few months were rough. I had to work extra hard to gain their trust and show them that I genuinely cared. We hit road bumps (heck mountains) as we adjusted to each other. By Christmas I had made relationships with my kids that made each day much easier. I expected coming back after Christmas break would be easier. The downhill slope to the end of the year, then testing and finally the fun part-field trips and field day and all the end of year joy. Covid-19 had other plans for my first year. I walked out of school on March 13 (Friday the 13th, Full Moon and all that jazz) and told my kiddos and my co-workers I would see them in a few weeks. We were only supposed to be in distance learning for TWO weeks! One co-worker jokingly started singing "School's Out" by Alice Cooper as we walked towards our cars. We told him he was being ridiculous. Little did we know that his prediction would be eerily correct. The final three months of my first year of teaching were filled with Zoom meetings, failing grades, constant parent contacts and doing anything in my power to teach my 8th graders American History, while also making sure they were mentally and physically okay. My kid that lived in the home of an abusive father was now stuck with that 24 hours a day; there was no break for him anymore. We ended the school year with lots of tears. There were no in-person goodbyes. Just sporadic Zoom meetings and a few emails and comments. My first year did not end in any way like I expected it. I headed into summer break thinking that the by fall all would be right with the world again. I would be back in my classroom with my new students. Three classes of 6th graders and one group of 7th graders. We started the year working through the stages of re-opening. We made progress and slowly started getting students back into the classroom. That empty classroom from the beginning of school was starting to feel more like itself again. The laughter and chatter of middle schoolers was back. I was in my happy place. Then once again Covid-19 showed its hand. We were sent back home for just a few weeks. Those few weeks turned a month, then extended past Christmas break and New Years. Once again, my kids are struggling. I'm struggling. There is nothing I wouldn't give to be back in my classroom with 30 6th graders all asking questions at once and calling out and being all around goofy. Hopefully we will get back to that way of life one day. Teachers and students are struggling as we work through this trial together.