Thoughts from a teacher with a mom perspective

I packed up my classrooms with little notice and was launched into a new world of teaching: Distant learning.

I rearranged my life and my basement with little notice and was launched into a new world of parenting: Quarantine teaching.

All of a sudden, my two ‘lanes’ collided. I know a lot of people expected this to be my time to shine, but it. was. hard. very. hard. I gave myself a lot of grace. I gave my kids grace. I gave their teachers grace. I was pouring that stuff all over the place by the end of it all.

Here is what I learned as a teacher:

  1. I needed to remind myself not to get discouraged if kids aren’t completing work or attending the zooms. I may have only reached one child or helped support one family during experience - but that one child, that one family was worth it.

  2. I found it important to give parents clear expectations of what is necessary and what is support work to keep those little hands busy so parents can work. (For 3 year olds - it was all just support work!) The last thing I wanted parents to feel was failure.

  3. I had to give myself time to be sad. I needed time to miss my students, time to miss my classroom and time to mourn all the fun activities I desperately wanted to do face to face with the kids.

Here is what I learned as a mom-teacher:

  1. Even though I created a school space in the basement, it was ok to do school at the kitchen table, outside or even (and often) from bed.

  2. I needed to remind myself to talk to Braedon the way I would talk to my students or the way I would expect his teacher to speak to him.

  3. I made time for in the afternoon recess and called another mom during that time to spill over the victories and defeats of the morning.

  4. I needed to give my kids time and space to be sad, to be grumpy. Their worlds were turned upside-down too and deserved sometime to explore their feelings.

A glimpse of what life in my lane looked like during this crazy time:

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It was a wise C.S. Lewis that said “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work. This quote sits on my desk at school, resonates in my heart and carried me through this unique period of time.

This is life in my lane, I hope it helps navigate yours!

-Christy Smith

Christy Smith