2020 Wrap Up

It's hard to believe that 2020 is complete, and that the year went the way that it did!  It's been both a whirlwind and the longest year ever. 

I saw this reflection and thought I'd do a shorter version to look back at the year.  

1. One Word to Describe the Year

This one was hard. I'm going with: Alone.  I don't mean for that to be depressing, but really, this year was A LOT of alone time.  I spent every holiday alone this year.  I spend days/weeks/months on my own, in my own little space. I taught without anyone else in the classroom. I packed up my classroom, and every student's desk alone. I took walks to get myself out of the house. That doesn't mean that there hasn't been anyone there for me this year, or that I never saw anyone- there has, and I'm so grateful for everyone who has checked in on me and the gift of time this summer to see my family and isolate with them.  I have never felt disconnected, but I have felt alone because I've been alone.

Here's the steps to cleaning out the classroom during a pandemic:

Steps to packing up a classroom, and 25 students' things.  I was allowed back in the classroom for 1 day in June to pack up their stuff and my classroom for the summer.  This is what it looked like on June 6, from the last day we were in the room on March 13th.

I cleaned out each student desk (gross- not all of them took their snacks home!) and put their things in paper bags that I brought from home.

The school gave us garbage bags with student names (color coded by grade level) to put each student's belongings in.  Students would do a drive through pick up one week later. After each bag was packed, I piled them outside my room in alphabetical order.

Then, I had to do the regular end of the year clean up- empty all shelves, clean desks inside and out, take down anything from the year, back up files, turn in lesson plans, grade books, etc.  We did not have to stack our own furniture this year (usually we put all furniture in the corner) since we only had 1 day.  This is when I left the room for the summer.

2. Best Thing You Did for Someone Else This Year

I'm going to say working together with my teaching team to figure out online/remote learning.  We did emergency online learning in the spring- from March to the end of the June where we sent out asynchronous activities for students to complete. Then we switched to full remote teaching this past fall, which a set schedule and live teaching with students online. It's been a process, and it has NOT been easy.  I'm the educational technology support for our building (it is an actual job within out building), which has been A LOT of supporting teachers, especially last spring.  But our grade level team has really worked together to try and make this new job of ours as manageable as possible while we redo all lessons to fit an online format, and learn to manage all new technology.  I feel like I have a totally different job this year and I never applied for this one!

I haven't moved any furniture this year.  I teach from my computer in the left corner.

It's mostly a collection of screens that I work from each day
(I actually have one more monitor added since I took this picture in the fall).

3. Favorite Movie/TV show of the Year

I'm going with Schitt's Creek and Million Little Things on this one.  I loved them both- SC for the laughs, and MLT for the tears.  Other shows I've watched and enjoyed: Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Outer Banks, Masked Singer, Modern Love, Ozark.  I've watched A LOT of television.

6. Thing You Learned to Do/Have Never Done Before

I made Milkbar's Birthday Cake and WOW.  It was a process (part of this was my fault, I made little ones instead of one big one so that I could share), and it was DELICIOUS.

7. Favorite Place Visited This Year

Well, I didn't go many places, but here's a short list.  

* Kansas City.  I masked up, and stayed 7 weeks so that I could see my family this year.

* Pike Market at the beginning of the Pandemic.  It was eerie and empty, and will forever be a memory of what this all looked like at first.

* Apple orchard.  This isn't exciting, but I got to leave the house and it was open.

Don't I look thrilled to be flying in a Pandemic?  

SO grateful for the ability to see my family and play!

Doing my best to get out when anything was open!  Apple orchards were open- you had to wear masks, but I'm holding it for this picture :-) 

8. Most Memorable Moment/Day of the Year

My mom turned 60!  My sister took the day off work, and I was in town, so we went to the Arboretum and walked around and got lost. We grabbed some lunch (drive through!) and then spend the afternoon in the pool while Dad grabbed us Dairy Queen.  It was a great day with my mom and sis.

Other memories from 2020:

** "Playing" virtually with my niece and nephew

Will you watch me play dolls?

** Drive Through 5th Grade Promotion for our students.  I learned to make balloon arches and we got to wave at their decorated cars and students hanging out the windows. It was the only time I saw them after we left school in March and they were moving on to middle school!

** The glass studio I love closed permanently because they weren't able to have classes or retail with the stay at home orders, and there was no foreseeable future date for them to open given Washington's stay at home orders.  I had a gift certificate for a class from my birthday last year, so they let me set an appointment and spend it on glass they had from storage.  I got AMAZING deals, and it was both awesome and so sad. 

The stay at home orders have been SO different in Washington than in other places where I have family and friends, so it's been really strange to see how different it has been.  I have gotten out- I've eaten outside at a restaurant maybe 5 times (?) since March. I have tried to get out and do things- I walk about 3 miles daily with a coworker and take walks with one of my neighbors (and also coworker!) on the weekends, I've visited a couple apple orchards, and I've met up with friends at the grocery store so that we can catch up.  I have a billion face masks as I find the perfect kind to wear all day long in case we go back in the classroom- ha!  I do go in to work every day and work from there. Since I'm in my own room, it's not a problem, and there is no "gathering".  We meet as a team once a week(-ish) when we spread out around the room and plan for about an hour.  I haven't been to the gym since February, but I am doing the online workouts and my own outdoor runs and walks.

Currently, restaurants are outdoor dining and take out only.  Retail is 25% capacity, including grocery stores. Salons are open with restrictions. Gyms, theaters, and other services are closed.

There's currently no plan for my grade level to come back in person.  There is a plan for K-3, but it has not happened yet. There are district board meetings almost every week, and it's a lot to listen to everyone's opinions (this is not good/bad, or right/wrong, it's just a lot of opinions!).  There are also union meetings to update teachers on negotiations.  It's just- a lot. 

I haven't heard anything about vaccines from our district.  I know the news says teachers may be one of the first groups to get it, but I'm not sure how that will work.  I'm sure someone will tell me! 

NONE of these are complaints!!  

There has been good this year.  Mostly that I have a job and have been healthy and I'm SO grateful for that.  I really don't want to be sick and be so far from my family, so I'm doing my best to play by the rules while also making sure I protect my own well being.  It's just been a strange year.

I'm ready to travel, do things without second guessing if it's open, safe, etc., and see my friends and family with no hesitations!  I know there are some changes coming this year in many parts of my world, so I'm looking forward to welcoming some new experiences in 2021!  

Wishing you a HEALTHY New Year!