In the Swing of Things
Madrone Trail Community,
Now that we have had three full weeks of distance learning under our belts, we are starting to find our rhythm. We hope that you have found yours at home as well. Rhythm and routine are so important to children, especially in times of uncertainty. Despite this not being our ideal method to deliver Waldorf education, we are stuck with it until the metrics say otherwise. Considering we have not had one week so far where Jackson County or the State have been under the target metrics, we need to be prepared that distance learning will continue beyond the first quarter, which ends October 29. MSD has already announced that they will continue to do Comprehensive Distance Learning until at least Thanksgiving Break. Madrone Trail will have an official announcement about an extension to our Comprehensive Distance Learning plan next week.
Let's all work together to make Comprehensive Distance Learning as successful as possible in the meantime. It takes effort from all of us; administration, teachers, parents/guardians, and students to make it work. Let's keep up the dialogue about what is working and what isn't. Let's be patient and forgiving of each other and the technology we use to make it happen.
And if it makes anybody feel better, I am a very organized person, but so far during distance learning I have:
- Realized my child was supposed to be in a zoom class 20 minutes after the 30 minute class started.
- Uploaded and turned in more than one assignment for my child 2 minutes before it was due, and a few past the due date.
- Gotten an email about my child's behavior during a zoom session (he found the unmute button and was abusing it.)
- Started my child's zoom session with the video off because they were still eating breakfast.
- Have had to set reminders in my phone to remember when classes are and when to feed my children snack and lunch.
- Forgotten to record more than one class I was teaching.
- Had every single one of my family members walk through the room while I was teaching a class on zoom.
- Prepare and get out materials to teach one grade, and then 2 minutes before class realize I was teaching a different grade.
- Accidentally dropped my equipment I was teaching with off my deck where I couldn't reach it during class.
- Complained to Mr. Bissey about the hotspots not being here.
On the bright side I have also:
- Seen my children be excited to "go to class" and see their teacher and classmates.
- Been proud of the work my children have done from just watching a video of the teacher.
- Connected with my children in a different way now that I'm helping them with their schoolwork.
- Received an email from a parent saying how much their child is enjoying Games class online.
- Really enjoyed seeing all of my students on a weekly basis again.
- Felt proud to be a part of this school and our faculty while going through these difficult times.
We're all in this together,
~Cori Royer
Assistant Director and Games Teacher
Parent of a 4th grader and Kindergartner
