#eighthgradeteaching

[thedapperdudeguy]

Day 8

So we are jumped into distance learning today. The district let us know to plan for kids to do 2 and a half hours of school related stuff a week, meaning to plan about half an hours worth of work per class per week. For some reason this simultaneously stresses me out and makes me feel better. We have the 8th grader's next 4 weeks planned out and ready to go and tomorrow we will be working on the 7th graders. It's kinda nice because our principal wants us to just team up with the other teachers and have one set of assignments for all the students no matter the teacher.

I really hate that this is my first experience as a teacher, but I keep telling myself if I can get through this I can get through anything once my career really starts.

[thedapperdudeguy]

Day ???

The first week of distance learning is officially done, and the second week starts tomorrow. I was surprised by how much the students seem to miss school and just want things to go back to normal. Their first assignment was due on Friday and I really expected almost no one to turn anything in, but it looks like I got almost 60 or so assignments turned in (maybe a little less than half!). We just got an email telling us that the kids will get NG for this quarter, meaning that there's insufficient evidence to give the kids a grade. This makes me worry that they wont take this distance learning stuff seriously, I know I wouldn't have at their age.

My seventh graders are working on journaling their time in quarantine, and some of their responses just break my heart. One kiddo lives with her mom and grandma, and since her grandma is sick she isnt allowed to leave the house at all. Her journal was just talking about how bored and lonely she is, and I felt so bad for her. I know all this is so rough for them, and I'm really looking forward to when all of this is over and things can go back to normal.