Thoughts in the Time of Quarantine

I have a lot of thoughts on education in quarantine.  My typical outlet thus far has been yammering on Facebook, saving articles, and talking to my captive audience (Husband and two kids.  Believe me, they are very excited about my thought-sharing). 

For the sake of posterity, primary sources, and whatnot, I thought I would jot down some of my thoughts here.  They may not be terribly thorough, but at least they will be somewhere other than my brain. 

First, I am a smart, educated, tech-savvy person. I (now) have access to high-speed internet; we have a dozen devices to access the internet in my home.  I have a laser printer sitting on my desk. I have a 32-inch wall-mounted TV that serves as a second monitor.  I am an early adopter of most tech.  Prior to all of this, I have used Google Classroom, Google Meet, Zoom, and Blackboard Collaborate. I am very comfortable taking classes in a digital format.

And I am feeling overwhelmed.  

I can only imagine people who have slow internet. Or a dodgy connection. Or tech that is insufficient. Or those who don't use the internet for anything other than Netflix. 

I can't imagine doing this as a parent who has to work outside the home and also care for kids at home. 

I can't imagine being the kid who has to figure all this out without a helpful parent. Or a knowledgeable parent. Or a parent. 

And my kids are stressed.  They have two educators in the home, access to tech, access to the internet. Yesterday, my youngest accidentally did an online form incorrectly and had a total meltdown. The stress is a lot. 

I fear that we are missing that in all of this. I don't mean "we" as my district but\ all of us.  How are we meeting the needs of our kids who are struggling? Or those who are unsafe at home? Or lonely? Or without support. 

I value education as one of the most important aspects of life. I have always told my children and students that education is something you achieve and nobody can ever take from you. I think it is a solid key to getting out of difficult situations (though I recognize that this is imperfect because of institutional racism and cyclical poverty). 

But I wonder if we are focussing too much on education and not enough on the hearts and souls of our kids.  And our teachers. And our admins.  

Are we focusing on classwork and computers and lessons and meetings because that is something we can control?  Perhaps. 

I am a big picture person.  I see ten miles down the road and often trip over what is in front of me.  So, for me, a lot of this is thinking long term and being overwhelmed but the nuance of now.