Objectionable, oblivious it once was and now an obstacle to overcome
Vexatious, vicious and a vaccine still to be discovered
Illogical, incredible and up until a few months ago, inconceivable
Disturbing, daunting and doubtlessly dastardly
At the beginning of the year, no one knew the Corona virus would cause a worldwide pandemic and we were oblivious to the destruction it would wreak upon lives - families, individuals, friendships, death, illness, time. The two posts I wrote earlier this year did not even hint at what this year would hold because I had no idea!!!!
But before the corona virus came and wrapped its vicious tendrils:
The good news is I found a job where I am very happy. I don't have to drive in traffic jams to get there and my favourite class is delightful! I work with colleagues who are kind and professional and we all share the planning and our work with each other. There is so much concern for the wellbeing of our students and I feel very privileged to be a part of it all.
At my interview I was asked if I was able to hit the ground running so being employed 2 days before the students came, I hit the ground running.
At my interview I was asked what area I would like to grow in professionally and I responded with learning more about how technology could be used in the classroom. Covid happened, remote learning began and I learned so much about teaching my students in an online forum, using technology, apps and other computer programs powered by the internet. Resources that were found in books were somewhat discarded and I searched for, evaluated and used new resources to teach content I was already familiar with.
In the last week of Term 1 in March we began teaching our students remotely. We did not know how long this would last for and we took it on board, meeting our students at the start of each period in zoom meetings. We checked in on how they were coping and we tried to provide a reassuring forum for them to learn as well as cope with this new and unfamiliar 'world'.
The two week holiday break was a good time to prepare for the indefinite amount of remote teaching we would have to do in Term 2. It was also a time to prepare mentally for coping in this new and very uncertain time. Resilience means being grateful on a daily basis and being able to empathise with others and every day, I posted at least one photo and description of something I was thankful for on Facebook. (Which I later turned in to photo books) I do have a lot to be thankful for and much of it comes down to people: my family, my friends; the people I love and enjoy sharing laughter and good times with.
My goal to walk 2020 kms in 2020 is well on target and I am thankful for the many steps Andy and I have taken together to achieve this goal. I've walked over 1,500,000 steps so far this year. I've walked on the sand, the rocks, the road and pathways. I've walked in the rain, the sunshine, windy days and cold and avoided being pelted by the hail. I've seen sunsets that have amazed me and sunrises that greeted a new day with colour. I've listened to the sweet sounds of magpies and the laughter of kookaburras and children. As I've walked along the water's edge I've heard the water gently lapping over the rocks and watched seagulls looking out over the ocean spying out their next meal.
After the 2 week break, remote learning continued for 8 weeks of Term 2 and then the students came back to school, eager to see their friends and learn in the more traditional way for the last 3 weeks of term. Teaching in the classroom means we can keep a closer eye on our students, see where they are more challenged and respond to the unspoken queries they have. We are more likely to notice the furrowed brow, the incomplete work and the nervous smile. At the end of the term, we suggested they take their main workbooks home... just in case.
The first week of this break I did a lot of school work, aiming to have it completed and ready for Term 3 by the start of the 2nd week. I was scheduled to have an op on the Tues but the hospital called to reschedule it to the following Friday as the building extensions had taken longer than expected and they wanted to minimise infections. This gave me 3 extra days of free time and I was ready for it! We drove north for about 3 hours and caught up with a friend and completed my tax return for the year. The next day we went shopping at a DFO and went for a walk along the beach and then we found out news that would once again impact our lives.
Restrictions were going to be put back in place as of midnight Wednesday. Foggy Wednesday morning, we drove out to my brother's place, spent some time with my horse Boston and went for a walk with the dogs along the country road. We drove over to Andy's old tennis club so he could have a hit of tennis with his good mate, and after coming home to change, headed to Nathan and Melanie's place for dinner. Lock down was going to be for 6 weeks so we were making the most of it.
Thursday morning I called the hospital as I had a few questions and they again confirmed the details for the op tomorrow. We went for a walk so that I could get my 10,000 daily steps in and just before dinner was served I got a phone call from the hospital rescheduling my surgery until after I have had a covid test, due to the new lockdown restrictions. They apologised for the inconvenience and the late notice and said it would be a priority to book me in as soon as the clear test results were in. Very disappointing. I know these are unusual days, crazy days and it does make it hard to feel settled - and yes, I had been feeling settled and content this year despite the circumstances.
When all is said and done and as my friend Tonia reminded me again this evening, "We make plans but we hold them lightly and then go with the flow... in God."
Resilience. Wellbeing. Gratefulness. No matter what the circumstance, it's taking one step after another and not being held back by our doubts, our hurts, our fears. It's taking one step forward and then another, knowing that we are moving forward. The scenery around us may be changing and it's OK to stop and take a moment to catch our breath but we need to keep taking those steps forward.
