So Much Can Change in 2 Years...

 

I shared this picture on the blog two years ago, when I was a fourth grade teacher in California. Our district had a day off on Friday, March 13, 2020, and my plan was to attempt to shop for some household goods that day. I left my classroom on the afternoon of March 12, 2020 all set up for Monday. The lessons were planned and the date Monday, March 16, 2020 stayed on the board for weeks. I received the announcement on Friday that our schools were closing for 3-4 weeks. My daughter was still at daycare until Monday, March 16 when those services were also closed. Those few days changed the course of life for my family, but we didn't know it yet. 

Daily bike rides kept my family active, and the kids could play in our backyard. Schools transitioned to remote learning. One of my former students wrote a short story about this phase of the pandemic, which was published on author Kelly Yang's website. 

The parent email sharing the link to this story made my day! I am glad that a student remembers my smiling face from that time. It was a challenging time. I ran morning meetings from my entry way because  good wi-fi spots in our house were limited. My young daughter watched cartoons during morning meetings and napped during my afternoon small groups and staff meetings. 

I started this post in March 2022 without posting it, but realized that I don't want to lose this story.