"We Have to Get Kids Back in the Schools" - Wrong! (PART ONE)

I don't know of a single person who doesn't want schools open - not teachers, not students, not parents, not elected officials, not medical and science experts, not the community. 

But just saying kids have to be back in school is not helpful and not a plan. Any type of return to school with the pandemic still raging involves a level of risk and requires changes to what we envision when we hear "back to school." That means we have to face the reality that "getting kids back into the schools" is not what our goal is. What we do need is plan for how we can educate all our children during this current crisis, with or without using our schools. 

Instead of saying that we have to get kids back in the schools, try saying this:

How can we redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis?

Here's what we are looking at for many of our in-person classroom experiences at the elementary level:

• Less than full classes to meet safety guidelines - with some kids possibly connecting remotely and/or with kids coming to school every day or on alternate days. 
• Coordination of in-person along with the remote learners, which could look different on different days and throughout the year based on the degree of illness in the community.
• Distance - should be 6 feet but I am seeing some say 3 feet (makes me very nervous).
• Masks (hopefully masks and not just face shields) for part or all of the day.
• All students facing the same direction. No face-to-face interactions.
• No small group work (unless you can do it via computers as kids sit at their desks).
• No or limited hands-on experiences.
• No shared equipment. This could significantly impact science, math, art, music, and physical education experiences.
• More time devoted to hand washing, desk cleaning, mask breaks. Wash hands when you arrive and before and after eating (so that's lunch and snack). Do this while maintaining distance among all students and adults.
• Time outdoors (weather permitting) to stretch and this can also be a mask break - make sure kids stay apart though.
• Recess: keep distance, no shared equipment.
• Lunch - I have no idea - probably in the classrooms and not the cafeteria - at a distance, facing the same way, so no face-to-face socializing. Let's face it, how do you even socialize while eating all facing the same way at a distance of 3 feet or more?
• Transportation:  Buses with fewer kids each trip - so we might need two rounds through the community to get everyone? Will that mean a later start to the day? Longer time getting home?  I'm not sure. Maybe more kids will walk or get picked up. The transportation issue alone keeps me up at night, and I can only image how those who have to plan it out must be feeling!
• Possibility of no assemblies, live guest presenters or volunteers, field trips, few or no before/after and recess clubs simply because they won't meet safety guidelines.
• Increase in absences - adults and students. Plan for needing more substitute teachers. Plan to support students who might be sick or quarantined for long periods of time.
• Increased use of computers. Prepare for technical difficulties, fatigue, distractions.
• Challenges in hearing the teacher and students who are speaking through a mask. Challenges in reading facial cues. How does this impact those tuning in from home?
• Passing out papers - probably not. Convert to a paperless classroom if you don't already have this.
• Schools without air conditioning will likely need to start with virtual learning. There will be so many who fall ill if they are in a 90+ degree room with a mask on for hours. I know from experience in unconditioned classrooms how unproductive this can be, and that was without wearing a mask. 
• Less time devoted to curriculum. Plan for transitions to take longer and for the time it will take for a full class hand washing and room cleaning throughout the day. Plan for more review, troubleshooting, safety reminders, breaks. Many modifications will need to be made to adhere to safety guidelines which will limit some experiences.
• For many rooms, only desks and chairs will fit. Any flexible seating, comfy furniture, small group table, etc. will need to be removed; otherwise, the distancing won't work.

So when I hear some saying we have to get kids back to school, is this what they mean? Because this is what it will be. We need to be realistic if we are going to try to make this work. So back to my question:

How can we redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis?

We need to work together to figure out if there IS an answer. Can we find tools, resources, strategies that will support in-person learning with current conditions? If the environment we are putting our children into is a terrible, stressful, dangerous, boring, learning environment, and we have no idea how to make it better, then we need a new plan. The last thing we want to do is make things worse. We aren't only thinking about the education of our children now, we are potentially going to have an impact on the physical and mental health of our school communities and their families. So if what we are offering for in-person learning is terrible, can we really say it is worth the risk? Do we really HAVE to get kids back into the schools if we can't ensure a good education and a safe and welcoming space for all?  

Continuing to think of in-person learning, can you fill in either of these answers to my question?

Yes, we can redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis, and here is how we can do it.... 

After brainstorming and considering all possibilities, no, we can't redesign education during a dangerous pandemic so we can meet high safety standards, support the social/emotional needs of adults and children, and provide the best learning experience possible in a time of crisis and so we need to...

I don't have all the answers, but I do know we need to face this before we move forward. I have been discussing possibilities with colleagues, reading all I can from our health and science experts, trying not to follow toxic dialogue on social media, and doing all I can to help prevent the spread of the virus.

If we cannot plan an in-person scenario worth risking our health for, we need to spend the weeks we have left before school starts putting all our effort into designing a virtual experience that will answer the question I pose.

In my district, we have an amazing community, staff, administration, school board, and families. We have a lot of really, really smart people who have proven in the past that we can work together to do what is best for our community, and especially for our children. We are not all going to agree on what the best options are, but, if we commit to sticking with it, stay honest with our reality, agree to being respectful in our words and actions, and open our minds to some creative changes in how, what, and where children learn, we will surely find a plan that keeps us safe and inspires our children to learn and grow.

In "We Have to Get Kids Back in the Schools" - Wrong! PART TWO I will share some ideas I have for how to create meaningful learning experiences for students during the upcoming school year that will also bring us closer to a modern learning environment even after the pandemic has passed. (coming soon)

Bored? How?

This winter has been brutal.  We've had several snow days and some late openings and an early dismissal due to the weather.  But no matter where you are, there's lots of learning to be done.  Parents and children should celebrate the time they have together because there is so much they can do! Learning doesn't just take place at school, and learning can be, or should be, FUN!!

Here's what I did today.  If you have some extra time with your children, look at it as an opportunity to do something different.  And if your power is out and you can't use the computer...well, be creative!!

1.  Art Lessons:  I spent some time laughing and making a cat.  There are more lessons, so bring on the snow!  I can't wait to share this with my school kids. This is a drawing course for kids pre-k to third grade, but it was just right for me.   Check out illustrator Will Terry as he helps us all learn how to draw.  http://www.youtube.com/user/willterryart#grid/user/0455BA1360AC306D

2.  Make puzzles.  I made some cryptograms to share with my class.  I bet your kids will love these.  Or, better yet, have them make puzzles for YOU to solve.  You can trade.  http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/?CFID=4876881&CFTOKEN=30792682

3.  What?  You're not following the Iditarod?  It starts in about a month, so get moving.  I spent a lot of time revising my lessons and preparing for our annual Iditarod Banquet. The Iditarod site has tons of suggestions for how to use the Iditarod to teach children, and there are even blogging dogs.   Lots to do, lots to do!  http://www.iditarod.com/

4.  Do you want to learn how to make comics with kids?  The National Association of Comics Art Educators can help.  http://www.teachingcomics.org/

5.  And if you think you have it bad stuck in the house for a day or two, visit this Alert Map site.  It shows every type of disaster imaginable happening in the world now.  Then count your blessings.  http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

Butterflies - From Science to Social Skills, History to Art

It seemed to be all about the butterflies this year.  Second graders usually have a heavy dose of insects because they study the live version of several in the classroom and research and report on insects as part of an end-of-year presentation, "The Goodnoe Garden Association Presents...Insects of North America." Along with their spring project, the children really enjoy watching the life cycle changes of the painted lady butterfly, one of the insects they study.  At this time we were able to use the butterfly for some great math lessons, such as to help reinforce the idea of symmetry. This part of their science program has been a great way for them to learn about how insects grow, change, and behave and to work on some great observation skills.


As you might know, butterflies have significance aside from that of an interesting and beautiful insect.  To some, butterflies symbolize rebirth, change, and transformation.  There are so many ways to incorporate this into the school year. For us this year, we began the year by using the butterfly to discuss the differences among those in our learning community.  By reading the book, The Wings of Epoh by Gerda Weissmann Klein (and a related video I'm Here by Peter H. Reynolds/Fablevision), we were able to reference the butterfly and the caterpillar to connect to what children might be feeling, how to appreciate and understand differences (the obvious and unnoticed), how wonderful each of us is in a unique way, and how we can help others feel like they belong.  We used the activities in the accompanying Wings of Epoh/I'm Here teaching guide to help the children talk to one another, get to know one another, and to have a chance to explore what it means to feel different.


Then, somewhere in my online exploring, I happened to find another butterfly reference that added not only to our idea of the butterfly but also to two other themes that ran through our classroom this year.  The first theme was that of recycling and using up "trash" for other projects. The second was to learn about those who have made a difference in the world and to think about how we can make a difference in our school, community, families, and in the world.  The butterfly this time came in the form of another book, entitled, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, a collection of poetry and artwork of children from the Terezin Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia.  One artist/teacher in particular, Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, helped the children learn to draw and express their feelings, and many of their work was saved after the war.  Years later, the work was discovered and exhibited.  It creates a story of young children who were taken away from their homes, their families, and everything they loved during the time of WWII and the Holocaust. Because of the background the children had in learning about those who had made a difference, we could reference some qualities of those who helped others, those who were cruel to others, and how it feels to be treated unjustly as well as with kindness.  The children spent many months this year learning about such people as George Washington, Jackie Robinson, and Milton Hershey.  They even read a book, as part of an author study, about Queen Esther, and I remember how shocked they were to discovered that in our history (a while after learning about the time in history of Jackie Robinson) there was yet another entire group of people who were treated unjustly.  This was a great time to return to some of the lessons that took place with Wings of Epoh and I'm Here to discuss with the children how those who are different can become the target of teasing, exclusion, or unfairness, even in school. We talked about how they can be the ones who help make a difference, even for one person.


So now, I carefully thought about the words to use to explain the history linked to our new butterfly project, but, fortunately, I was able to call on one of my students to help share this story.  Coincidentally, her dance school had used this story as the theme for their dance production, which was performed just a week or so before I was presenting it to the class.  She was eager to explain the story and did so in a way that was perfect for this age group. Other children shared connections they had, such as information they had learned about the Holocaust or of family members who fought in WWII.


After some discussion, the children each received a poem from the book (carefully chosen for this age).  They read it silently and then some of the children volunteered to share their poem and their thoughts about it.  It was astonishing to hear their readings and to listen to their thoughts on these emotional poems - they seemed so grown up!  Although I am sure they were not coming from the same place that an older child or adult with more knowledge of history, they were definitely touched by and connected to the children and their words.


What came next was their chance to connect to a project being created by the Holocaust Museum Houston, which has created The Butterfly Project. The web site says,

"1,500,000 innocent children perished in the Holocaust. In an effort to remember them, Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies.

The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2013, for all to remember. The Museum has already collected an estimated 400,000 butterflies."

I asked the children to create a butterfly that represented the child who wrote the poem and the feelings they could connect to the poem.  As it was the very end of the school year, we would use "leftover" materials to create the butterflies.  These butterflies would be sent to the museum to become part of their display.  One thing that was certain was that the children took great care in planning and creating their butterflies.


As this was our last week of school, I had lots of work to get finished and cleaning up to do.  But, I found myself enjoying being an observer in this special moment.  I had a group of young children who, for the most part, worked as a team to create these butterflies. And then there were a few who truly enjoyed finding a quiet corner to work alone - and that was great too!  They didn't ask me for much help, but they helped each other.  I put a huge pile of materials on the floor, and they sat with the materials and shared, gave suggestions, and commented on the good work of their peers.  At one point there was a silence that I don't think I will ever hear again with a craft project during the last week of school - just children cutting, gluing, passing things around.  Amazing!  It wasn't so much about the theme of the holocaust or the power of the poetry as it was about a group of children who had spent a year learning to respect one another, to enjoy learning, to appreciate the value in cooperation, and who really did seem to understand they were part of something outside their classroom.  It was a perfect butterfly symbol  - a group of children who had transformed into an amazing learning team!


(If you would like to be a part of The Butterfly Project, the deadline is not until June 2012, so you actually can do this for two years.  There are guidelines and lesson plans on the web site. You will have to use your judgment as to the appropriateness of the lessons for your age group - to me, they are quite powerful and emotional.  I struggled all year as to how I would make this work, but it somehow came together, albeit at the last minute, in a way that was perfect for young children.  Another interesting connection is that the author of The Wings of Epoh is herself a Holocaust survivor.)

Classroom Culture

As all teachers know, every year you have a different group of children and a different feel to the classroom. There are different people, of course, in your environment, and that makes all the difference. You are teaching similar content, the classroom itself is somewhat the same, you probably have many of the same books, desks, learning materials, standards to achieve, and a similar schedule to adhere to. But, luckily, we get to do our job differently every year. That is one of the exciting things about teaching - even if you teach the same grade year after year.

As the "leader" of the group, a teacher does have some say (at least we try) in the development of the culture of the classroom. This year I have been observing some of the very interesting developments in the culture of my second grade classroom that I find fascinating because the children are creating some of this culture themselves by making the most of the structures that have been set up in this particular learning environment. Here are two examples:

A few weeks ago a child brought in a rock from home. During the busy morning as the children were arriving, the child showed me the rock. I commented on the rock as I was getting the day organized. He asked me if he should put it on the display table. I quickly said yes as I attended to the other children. After a few minutes (processing, processing), I stopped and thought, "Do we have a display table?" I then realized that on the first day of school a child brought in some things from her summer vacation. We put them on a metal stand that I use to store science materials. Without my paying much attention to it, the stand gradually became a display table for all kinds of interesting items the children wanted to share with the class: books, toys, rocks, shells, awards, Halloween decorations. Sometimes I don't know who put the items there - they just "appear" there. And that seems to satisfy the need of the children to share their things without having them become a distraction. And, the other children respect the items and leave them alone.

This is the first year our four Macbooks available at the very beginning of the year for the students to use in the classroom. The children are already becoming comfortable using the computers and will even ask for "my mac" when they have some work to do. But it still surprised me when I was talking with another teacher as the children came into the classroom after lunch and I heard the "ding" of the macs as they were being turned on. I found it surprising, and amusing, that the children were so comfortable with themselves as learners and tech. users that they would get right to work after lunch without waiting for me to give them any directions (I did actually have a math lesson planned by the way...). You have to remember, these are only second graders! They aren't fooling around - they want to get their work done. And this is THEIR work - not my assignment for them to complete.

With guidance and trust, modeling and support, even the youngest children will embrace learning and leading in their classroom. Keep an eye on them...they're fascinating. And they won't wait for you either!!

Outside the NECC Walls

So, after all my reflections on NECC, I have to say that my favorite part was the people-watching. During the keynotes, sessions, the volunteers, outside the conventions center, at the receptions, the vendors--there was so much going on! And surrounding the many aspects of this conference, a city was bustling with workers, vacationers, families, etc.

I think I saw it suggested somewhere - that we have a "conference without walls." And we are definitely at a time when all of our sessions do not have to take place in rooms in the same building. We can be "out and about" the cities where we are having the conference doing some great hands-on learning and discussions.

One of my favorite parts of my NECC-plus-vacation was the Fourth of July parade. Instead of watching the parade, I found myself watching the spectators. With the countless phone, photo, and video gadgets, the people--children, adults, seniors--were involved in the parade in more ways than just as viewers. There were flags being waved, but more often than flags, I saw cameras and cell phones flying high above the crowds trying to get a great photo. Here's where our learners are. Here's where our educators should be. Here's where the collaboration, sharing, and learning by doing are taking place. They've got the tools and we can facilitate the learning - taking it to the next level - outside where things are happening...

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