New Normal

I made it through the first week!  I would not call it graceful, or fluid or even successful.  It was my very best though.  It just isn't possible to adequately address the needs of at home learners while monitoring and providing for in person learners.  Trying to do that while wearing a mask, from an appropriate distance and with adequate supplies so that nobody ever shares anything -- well, its like juggling flying fish.  I can juggle, but the darn fish are slippery and they keep getting away.  If I knew about the fish, I didn't know about the juggling, and certainly not about the flying part.  They just keep sneaking a new bit in each time I hear the plan. Just when the in person people are really catching on, I switch back to the online people, then I stumble to get the next bit of technology started up.  Rinse repeat and go again.

 I had my AP Capstone Research kids make a digital bulletin board instead of the paper "get to know you" surveys that we usually do.  Here is mine.  They seem to have some topic ideas and are bringing in an article for Monday.  We did two labs in Biology already.  So much time to find enough termites and pill bugs for everyone to have their own!  They seemed to enjoy it though, which is the point of the first week of school.  We are investing in an online lab service, so I hope that will help the online learners to have some data to practice with. 

 I cut out a bunch of masks.  I've got this atom fabric that will be great when we get to Chemistry.  They aren't all sewn yet, but it is a step in the right direction. 

 I did finish this one for Anna.  It is sailboat fabric that I ordered as a sample from Joann's.  Apparently they can print certain patterns in any color on any fabric.  So this is sailboats in blue on canvas.  Kurt is driving over to see her today and will deliver this along with a molecular model kit for Organic Chemistry.  She has been back for two weeks so far with no reports of illness.  Ryan went back yesterday,  He doesn't think it will last long, but he wanted to give it a try.  He has a roommate who's mom won't let him come back to campus yet, so it is just him so far.  His classes are all online, but he wants to be with his friends and go back to his clubs and activities.  I worry, but I guess that is just what moms do.  He is under strict instructions to bring everything home with him if they are sent away again.  Last time he thought he would be back to school in a couple of weeks.  They stored all of his stuff all summer for him.  It will be interesting to see what it all looks like when he picks it up today. 

The sun still comes up every day.   I'm just going to keep on getting through each new day, catching the fish that don't fly away and being happy with little moments of success.