A New Chapter

 Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for us.

Tracey will begin first grade at a new school.

Truthfully, the new chapter began one year ago when Tracey started full-day kindergarten and wasn't home with the other children all the time.  But, after seven months of school, she came back home again -- we all did because of COVID school closures.

We have ALL been home for the past five and a half months... and it has been crazy, and it has been wonderful.  Learning to live in our home, with only each other has been a blessing.

Tomorrow, Tracey goes back out into the world... a different world than she's ever experienced... it is a new chapter for us.

Prioritizing Students

 Teachers are stressed right now, and justifiably so.  Teachers are rolling up their sleeves and doing what needs to be done... but everything is different.

I have heard many teachers say the same thing this year -- "I feel like a first year teacher."  Others have said, "I feel like I am being set up to fail."

I could go into all kinds of particulars as to why the teachers are stressed.  I could tell first hand situations that demonstrate why the teachers feel set up to fail.  I could relay the laundry list of everything that is different from last year to this year.  None of that will help anyone (including me) feel more prepared for the first week of school... so I'm going to tell you something else.

Yesterday, Tracey received a hand-written postcard from her new first-grade teacher.

With ALL the things this teacher is learning, planning, arranging, and organizing for the start of the year, she took the time to write a lovely note to Tracey.  This teacher recognized that back-to-school looks differently this year, and she has not had the chance to welcome students to back-to-school nights, or orientation events.  Of all the demands upon her time, she values personally welcoming her students to school before the first day in an effort to make them as comfortable as possible to be in her class for the first day of school.

This is the nature of teachers -- they will prioritize the students above everything else.  Above the stress, above the changes, above the policy and protocols... good teachers, true teachers are going to welcome students back for a fantastic year -- and they are going to get creative, because teachers are creative people.

Here is the best part -- Tracey was able to read almost the entire postcard message independently.

In every sense, she is ready for first grade!

School This Year

I'm pretty sure the content for this clip was taken from a camera inside my home.

I am having trouble expressing how ABSOLUTELY ACCURATE this video is at what my husband and I are talking about on a DAILY basis.

We are supposed to make a commitment next week regarding our children's schooling... and we DO NOT KNOW what we are going to decide.  Furthermore, we do not know if we are going to stick to it once we decide.

Add to that are unknown factors about each of our jobs.

We LITERALLY have no idea what we are going to decide, what we can afford, and what we feel safe putting in place.

At least this video makes me laugh... a little.

Nothing Feels Right

Published in Her View From Home

As the School Year Nears, Nothing I Choose Feels Right.

Homeschool doesn’t feel right

Virtual school doesn’t feel right.

Hybrid school doesn’t feel right.

Delaying school doesn’t feel right.

Starting school on time doesn’t feel right.

Getting temperature checks doesn’t feel right.

Having my child wear a mask in school doesn’t feel right.

Having to choose between my children’s health and education doesn’t feel right.

Worrying if I send them to a school that not only looks different but feels different doesn’t feel right.

Worrying that later on down the road sending them to a school and wearing a mask and getting their temperature checked constantly will somehow impact their mental health doesn’t feel right.

Worrying about them possibly seeing a classmate or teacher become sick and worrying if that person will ever come back doesn’t feel right.As parents we aren’t just thinking about this upcoming school year, we are worrying about how this will impact our kid’s health and mental health now and in the future because both of those things are equally as important.

Because the truth is this school year nothing I choose feels right and the only thing that would feel right is school back to how it was last year before all this came along.

Originally published on Grief to Hope with Nikki Pennington

When Youth Are Young

Hubby went to the school board meeting last night where parents and community members where sharing their thoughts regarding the forthcoming school year with the school board.

Over 100 community members addressed the board and then emails were read aloud.

Hubby came home and told me about the meeting and some of the perspectives that were offered at the meeting.

He said one person who spoke is a rising high school senior.  Among other things, this student said something like, "My friends and I are seniors in high school and nearly 18 years old.  We don't need adults telling us what they think is best for us -- we know what is best for ourselves."

Hubby said, the entire room quietly chuckled when that passionate student shared his thoughts.

Hubby and I each probably would have said the same thing at age 18... but so many changes come with the passage of time... I certainly don't think of myself as being "old" -- but here I am, an adult, a mother responsible for five of my own children and chuckling at this high school senior who does not want the adults to tell him what is best for him.

Time marches on.

Next School Year - MomTruth

There are two moms from Canada who have a pretty funny take on Motherhood.  They have a youtube channel, a book, a podcast, and probably more things of which I am unaware.  They have grown in popularity over the past few years and I have enjoyed their videos and diatribes for probably two years or so.

I do not share many of their posts or videos on my blog because they are a little crass for me... but I saw a video the other day that pretty much articulated many of my stressors at the moment... so despite their language and style, I decided it was worth sharing.

If you like the video, check out Cat and Nat on youtube for more of their thoughts on motherhood.

Nothing More True

I'm going to be honest... 

I think I have read nothing more true than the below meme:

This Fall

We have a lot going on this fall, just to give you some idea of what is going on in our world.

Hubby is working full time -- which is much more than full time from August-June.  He is also still working on his graduate degree in education administration.

I am working part-time in the job I've had for the past five years -- same job, but less school districts, so its now part-time.  In addition, I have been asked to teach a class at our local community college for their teacher education program.  I will be teaching Child Development, and I am really excited, but I have a lot of work to do to create my class, prepare lectures, and re-familiarize myself with the course materials (it has been a few years since I took this class in graduate school).

In addition to all of that, I am in the process of training to become a Bradley Method of Husband-Coached Childbirth Instructor.  If you remember, Hubby and I had a wonderful experience preparing for Tracey Ann's birth through our Bradley classes, and so I want to make myself available to help other couples prepare in the same wonderful way we did.

I will attend four days of certification classes next week... and I am studying like crazy trying to complete all of my certification assignments before then.  I don't have to have everything done before the workshop... but I would like to.

So, please pray for my time and my speedy study-skills as I study and complete assignments as quickly as possible to complete this certification next week.

How is your fall?

Its Standardized Test Season

It's the season for standardized tests in the education system... please keep teachers and students in prayers.

Personally, I don't like standardized tests.  I believe in Montessori education and we certainly never learned through tests... definitely not standardized ones...

But, my opinion doesn't matter when it comes to things required by the state.  So, in an effort to lighten the mood in my job these days, here are some funny test answers I read yesterday.  I'm just included a few, but to read the rest, visit here.

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This one is my favorite... read the letter from mom under the picture...

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What makes you laugh in your job?