Dear Teachers,
In the next few weeks, there will be several things that will be out of our control as professional educators. However, one thing that we can control is our daily schedule. Of course, all of us have a variety of new expectations, but thankfully none of us have 7:30 recess duty for the next few weeks!
If I was in your shoes, I would schedule just a small part of each workday to learn a tool or change a practice that will both help in you in our current situation, AND be something that you could use when you get back into your classroom. So much of what we will be doing over the next few weeks will still be of value when we get back to our school buildings. For instance, tools like SeeSaw, that give families a glimpse of what is happening in our classrooms. Or the ability to record a video and reflect on our learning using tools like FlipGrid. Or maybe a student who is out of your classroom for an extended period of time could instead still participate in your class via Zoom or WebEx.
For me, I am currently starting each day (at 8:00🙂) with my own personal professional preparation. I am learning to build a course in Canvas. Yes, the time is valuable because I will (hopefully) be able to support those of you trying Canvas in the next few weeks. But, I also know that this tool will have many purposes for me in the future.
This short time is a chance for me to explore and learn on my own. I can play, break stuff (digitally) and seek help from all of you. My hope is that each and every one of us will each find that new tool, habit, strategy or resource that stays with us long after this crazy time has passed.
~Scott
