~Life and Learning Must Go On~
I remember well one day when I was working as a CNA at a local nursing home back in Hutchinson, Kansas. I'd only been there a couple of months and was just learning all the things I needed to know in order to do my job, a part-time one that I took on to supplement my teacher's monthly salary. It was one of my responsibilities to lend a hand at what was referred to as the assisted feeding table where CNA's and nurses helped to feed those folks who no longer could do so for themselves. There was a very elderly woman who normally was assigned to me and I would spend my time talking to her as I fed her, knowing of course that she could never respond back to me. Sometimes if she was having a particularly bad day, she would yell out or push food away, but I tried to never let it bother me because I knew that she could not help it. I still tried to be kind and understanding, hoping always that when I was her age there would be someone would show the same love and kindness back to me.
The recent events of dealing with the Covid 19 virus are a good case in point.
Ponca City Public Schools went to our spring break schedule and the kids are to be out of school until March 23rd. Originally I was going to fly to see my son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters on Whidbey Island. That did not work out as I planned. Several of my students had their plans foregone as well. The weather here has been cold and rainy, seeming at times like the sun has forgotten to shine. It could get depressing really quickly if I allowed it to. Yesterday Mike and I just had to get out of the house for a moment and so we took a quick drive over to the local library here in Newkirk. It was so good to see the smiling face of our friend Marcina as she sat behind the counter. We didn't stay long but while there I saw a display of books on the table so I went over to check some of them out.
It was wonderful to see a copy of a book, "A Boy Called BAT" front and center in the display. Our district as a whole entity read this very book during the fall with each family receiving their own copy of it. Families, teachers, staff members, and administration read the book each evening and discussed it every day. Kids and adults loved the book!
I also found the two sequels to it displayed right alongside the book we had already read. There on the front cover was Bat with his pet skunk kit named Thor nestled into his red backpack. When I saw it, I'm sure I had to smile. I knew that many of my 5th grade students had wanted to read it but most of them had not had the chance. I checked out all 3 books and took them home with one purpose in mind.
I was going to read those books to my 5th graders.
Yesterday I shared the first chapter of the second book called "BAT and the Waiting Game" with my students. Since we are on spring break, it's a little difficult to gather them all around me in our fifth grade classroom. Thankfully we have a private classroom page online where all of us still can gather around and listen to a good story. My plan is to post a video of each chapter of the book throughout our entire spring break. I hope that the kids see it and enjoy listening as much as their teacher finds fun in doing so.
Reading to my students, something that I am quite used to doing each day, has this way of calming me down even now in times of great trouble. You know, I can't stop the virus but I can do my part in lifting the spirits of my students and anyone else who might catch the daily videos. While I'm at it, I'm lifting my own sagging spirit as well. The kids and I had plenty of time in the past few days before school let out to discuss things that were on their minds about the current virus going around. One of the things that I tried to stress to them was to do those things which they had control over, mainly keeping their hands washed and not coughing or sneezing all over others. The rest of the stuff, well they just need to leave those things to the grownups in charge to worry about. Their job is to just be a kid.
We all need to do our part now, in whatever way that may end up being. It takes everyone working together to see us through the times ahead. I cannot do everything but whatever I can do, you can bet I will be doing.
Sharing a story with kids who may be anxious and worrying about something that sooner or later will pass by, well it just seemed like the logical thing to do. Maybe it's the teacher in me but one thing I know for sure is this.
Life and learning must go on.
There was another CNA, a co-worker of mine on the weekend shift, who took it upon herself to let me know something one day as we were assisting. In a sarcastic and somewhat demeaning tone of voice, she told me
"You know of course that she can't understand one thing you are telling her. You are wasting your time."That comment hit me like a bolt of lightning and I could feel a bit of anger boiling up inside of me. I wasn't sure what gave her the right to criticize or question my method of assuring that this woman ate a good meal each day when I was there. As I looked at the smirk on my colleague's face, I was so thankful to be able to respond to her comment in the way that I did.
"Perhaps not but at least I know that if I am talking to her in a pleasing voice, then I am allowing myself to remain calm, even when it is sometimes difficult. You might want to try that some time."Remaining calm in a sometimes crazy situation is not always easy.
The recent events of dealing with the Covid 19 virus are a good case in point.
Ponca City Public Schools went to our spring break schedule and the kids are to be out of school until March 23rd. Originally I was going to fly to see my son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters on Whidbey Island. That did not work out as I planned. Several of my students had their plans foregone as well. The weather here has been cold and rainy, seeming at times like the sun has forgotten to shine. It could get depressing really quickly if I allowed it to. Yesterday Mike and I just had to get out of the house for a moment and so we took a quick drive over to the local library here in Newkirk. It was so good to see the smiling face of our friend Marcina as she sat behind the counter. We didn't stay long but while there I saw a display of books on the table so I went over to check some of them out.
It was wonderful to see a copy of a book, "A Boy Called BAT" front and center in the display. Our district as a whole entity read this very book during the fall with each family receiving their own copy of it. Families, teachers, staff members, and administration read the book each evening and discussed it every day. Kids and adults loved the book!
I also found the two sequels to it displayed right alongside the book we had already read. There on the front cover was Bat with his pet skunk kit named Thor nestled into his red backpack. When I saw it, I'm sure I had to smile. I knew that many of my 5th grade students had wanted to read it but most of them had not had the chance. I checked out all 3 books and took them home with one purpose in mind.
I was going to read those books to my 5th graders.
Yesterday I shared the first chapter of the second book called "BAT and the Waiting Game" with my students. Since we are on spring break, it's a little difficult to gather them all around me in our fifth grade classroom. Thankfully we have a private classroom page online where all of us still can gather around and listen to a good story. My plan is to post a video of each chapter of the book throughout our entire spring break. I hope that the kids see it and enjoy listening as much as their teacher finds fun in doing so.
Reading to my students, something that I am quite used to doing each day, has this way of calming me down even now in times of great trouble. You know, I can't stop the virus but I can do my part in lifting the spirits of my students and anyone else who might catch the daily videos. While I'm at it, I'm lifting my own sagging spirit as well. The kids and I had plenty of time in the past few days before school let out to discuss things that were on their minds about the current virus going around. One of the things that I tried to stress to them was to do those things which they had control over, mainly keeping their hands washed and not coughing or sneezing all over others. The rest of the stuff, well they just need to leave those things to the grownups in charge to worry about. Their job is to just be a kid.
We all need to do our part now, in whatever way that may end up being. It takes everyone working together to see us through the times ahead. I cannot do everything but whatever I can do, you can bet I will be doing.
Sharing a story with kids who may be anxious and worrying about something that sooner or later will pass by, well it just seemed like the logical thing to do. Maybe it's the teacher in me but one thing I know for sure is this.
Life and learning must go on.
For Kaleah, Raegan, Yesica, Matthew, Eric, Kiyson, Diana, Lillyann, Christopher, Evan, Isaiah, Alicia, Alexis, Silas, Lathan, Hunter, McKenzie, and Kelly
They are my final group of students in a career that has spanned 4 decades. No matter what lies ahead in the last 9 weeks of school, I am STILL their teacher. I don't plan to let some virus out there get in my way of helping them to be ready for the 6th grade and even more importantly, for LIFE. I love them too much to do any less.
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