Back to School?

Well, according to the governor, schools will reopen in the fall, providing we advance through the three phases of reopening. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I so want to be back in the classroom for the new school year, but will it be safe? I worry that our country’s desperate need to get the economy pumping again and the desire to go back to “normal” might step on the toes of prudence.

Whatever we do, it won’t be normal. We won’t have assemblies. We won’t have whole-staff meetings (okay, neither of these are heart-breakers). We’ll likely be wearing masks, which will be hot and uncomfortable, and the children will have a difficult time hearing us and reading our expressions. I won’t be able to sit down at my round table with a group of three or four to examine a text. Instead of saying, “Turn and talk to your partner” will I be saying, “Turn and talk loudly across the chasm to the nearest student”? Wait, no. I won’t be saying that because I’d be encouraging the spewing of droplets.

I guess there’s no simple way to deal with the effects of a pandemic, and I’m glad I’m not the decision-maker because no matter what you decide, someone will vilify you. But… I can’t help but wish we had our s*** a little more together, like New Zealand, for instance. Why can’t we be more like New Zealand? But that’s another story.