Life at the moment

August has sent me into a tailspin as I attempt to figure out this upcoming school year with all of its new rules and procedures. So blogging or reading in any kind of depth has not been at the forefront of my brain.

I was asked to be on a team of two to help implement technology in our building. There was training at the district for that and then back to Willow Elementary to share our "expertise." I do feel like blogging and building a website or two has helped me be more knowledgeable when it comes to some of the tech tools out there. And I'm not afraid to try new things, but I feel like I'm in my first year again working at curating resources that can be used in an online world.

I feel for these seasoned teachers who have been there a long time and are struggling to figure out where to start. They too are starting over just as a first year teacher would.

Our district has been preparing for this, attempting to get our district to be more tech saavy. The plan was to have chromebooks for every student in every school  within 5 - 6 - 7 years. This pandemic merely escalated that plan. Technology will never replace good teaching. The goal is to thread technology into our already good teaching practices and be intentional about what we use and how we use it.

However, I've felt that students get so much tech when they are at home that sometimes it's good to come to school and have a little break. I guess that's where I get to really decide what is going to work best in my classroom to satisfy both sides.

There is a little mantra in the world of plants that goes like this: The first year they sleep. The second year they creep. And the third year they leap. I feel like this is a year to leap despite all its challenges. I've spent the summer getting ready for it, getting organized, and learning for myself how I really want to tackle phonics and reading systematically. I am ready to tackle this year, complete with all its craziness.

AND . . . to add to a crazy beginning, Erik is coming home in 9 days. WOW! When did that happen. Nate is ready to tackle Denver in a few short weeks, and Kiersten is bringing that baby home to us. I informed my principal that I would be taking a day off to celebrate having all my family home for a short period.

It's going to be wonderful.

Life is wonderful.