Down Time, Hitting Reset

Down time has become so sacred recently, it's like my brain really needs to hit the reset button.

Teaching online is incredibly draining, I have found it more draining than regular classroom teaching. Being in a classroom seems to energise me as opposed to sitting behind a computer screen which loses that human connection and that ability to read body language which is so important.

Planning is just as long but you are always in amongst those same four walls.

Whilst I am lucky I have a reasonably large space in which to work it must be incredibly challenging for students who are essentially sleeping, relaxing and working all from the confines of the same room. It would be no surprise if those students at some point had some kind of meltdown or period of time where they are utterly unmotivated. I have already seen it happen.

There are suggestions in some quarters (especially back in the UK) that sees teachers as a scapegoat during the pandemic, that they are somehow refusing to work. Untrue. Teachers are working harder than ever in challenging circumstances to try and make the best of a difficult situation. Being directed by a government that you cannot go to your usual brick and mortar work environment is not the fault of teachers.

Controlling a group of students online whilst also trying to maintain a high level of learning is not something the average person could do. Teachers should be congratulated and not vilified.

This comes back to my original point of hitting the reset button. Students, teachers, parents, whoever, need to have that downtime, need to be away from a screen or a device and just be for a while. Whether that is sitting and listening to music, reading a book or simply closing your eyes and breathing there is a huge amount of good in this for mental and physical well-being.

This afternoon I have some time off and I cannot wait. I will be grabbing a book and devouring as many pages as I can.

Until tomorrow.