When we must PIVOT
The last week has been consumed with illness at my house. Play dates, activities and lessons cancelled on the daily. When busy kids get sick it’s a real disruption that drags out for weeks to come with make-up activities crunched in and doubled up lessons to stay on our track. Mama gets even less sleep than normal and everything is a real juggle when you’re in survival mode.
My biggest challenge came when we reached Tuesday and the fever was still spreading among us… that is the day I teach an economics class to 41 other students and I couldn’t risk spreading to their families. I also couldn’t share this fever with my childcare provider so I had to PIVOT. My class is on a firm schedule without time for make-ups, so I called a long list of families to swap in a virtual class that day. I spent my morning revising my lesson presentation to teach material that required less group interaction. PIVOT. I followed up on the texts and calls and emails asking if we were in fact only doing virtual class that day. All alone with 3 sick kids rampaging the house, crying, needing feeding and comforting. I finally frantically dressed 30 minutes before my class and sat down to teach. My computer wouldn’t log on. PIVOT. My lesson wouldn’t view online in presentation mode. PIVOT. And then someone at my house started loudly singing over and over “mooommmeeee, mooommmeeee, wipe my butt!” PIVOT. I’m so fortunate that elementary age kids have a good sense of humor and that covid broke them in on crazy virtual learning.
This week in our own home education I’ve replaced some lessons with videos (Storybots on Netflix has a fantastic phonics series for beginning readers!) My oldest swapped in reading “A Squire’s Tale” and writing a literary essay instead of doing 3 history tests, the baby sat on my lap because that’s the only place she wants to be right now. It all worked out and mamas, when the walls are crumbling…stay strong. I continue to remind myself that this too shall pass and something new will come. You’ve got this!