Skip to main content

Thoughts On Remote Learning and This Crazy World We Are In


As we conclude this first week of online learning, I want to give my thoughts about how things are going and the implications of all this. It is never easy to make major life adjustments like this on the fly. Personally, I had to make the move to online learning while also taking two graduate classes online and while having my entire family home. Talk about a challenge! I would love to hear from some of you in the comments about how you are adjusting.

I have been so incredibly impressed with the flexibility all of my students have shown through this transition to online learning. I know that this has to be incredibly hard for your senior year to be ending this way and you have all stepped up to the plate. The quality and depth of your words on the discussions board posts, as well as your effort on your 90-second speeches, have been terrific. I know this online learning thing isn’t easy, but trust me you are gaining valuable skills along the way. Namely, flexibility, time-management, and patience. We have to remember to make sure we are still taking care of ourselves, though.

During this time of social distancing, I have been trying to really make an effort to keep my mind and body in a good place by getting outside at least once per day to go for a run or go on a walk with my kids. If all we do is sit inside and stare at a screen all day, we will start to lose our positive mindset that is so important to get through this difficult time. The CDC gave a whole list of things to think about and activities to engage in to keep ourselves sharp and manage anxiety and mental health. Let’s all help each other get through this time by encouraging and taking care of ourselves mentally and physically.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

It Takes a Community

I gave my class the following prompt this week: Is it better to say the right thing or do the right thing? Or, in other words, do actions speak louder than words? Many times during our class discussions students have brought up that it is so hard to be kind and do the right thing sometimes. However, they do not give themselves enough credit. The field trip last Friday illustrated this beautifully. Last Friday, all of the seniors took a trip to Lorain County Community College for some climbing, high ropes, and team building. There were nerves, fear of heights (including yours truly), and excitement to get out of the classroom. Some students were literally shaking at the thought of climbing to high heights in front of their peers. Some resisted participation at first. Even I was not eager to give it a go. However, something magical began to happen as the students were taking on the various challenges. They began to cheer for, encourage, and motivate each other to higher heights. You coul
Would you rather always speak the truth or everything you say will end up coming true? A couple weeks ago one of my students asked me this very question. My first instinct was to say that I would always rather speak the truth. However, the more I thought about it, I began to change my mind. While it is admirable to always speak the truth, it might allow us to become better listeners if everything we said came true. Let me explain. Our precept for this month is “Listen First.” This has carried over into many of our class conversations. One of the ways I evaluate students during our “Fishbowl Discussions” is their attentiveness. Sure, talking during a discussion seems obvious, but sometimes really listening to what others have to say first can help us form our thoughts and extend compassion to others. When we take extra time to respond we are able to carefully measure what we say. If all of us took a little more time to listen rather than respond, we might say less. When i

Family Matters

Even though my oldest child is only three-years-old, I have a hard time remembering what life was like before kids. Sure, it is exhausting sometimes, but it is so worth it. Not a day goes by that I don’t laugh out loud about something one of my kids does or says. Kids truly do say the darndest. My kids certainly help keep me grounded and they don’t care if I had a bad day, they love me just the same. I don’t think any of us can truly understand unconditional love until they have their own kids. Even when they mess up and do something bad, we still love them and want the best for them. I was having a conversation with my advisory the other day about their attitude toward their parents. They sometimes feel like their parents don’t love them or they treat them too harshly. I reminded them that their parents are usually acting out of love and fear. I think that teenagers begin to think of their parents as the evil empire, only to realize when they are 25 that they are actually pretty cool