Thrown into Blended Learning!… What did I learn and what can I do going forward?

Let me tell you! Last term is a blur.. 🥴 Many lessons learned and probably many missed too 🤦‍♀️. Teaching in the time of Covid 19 has been a serious challenge. Sometimes I feel completely up to it! Sometimes.. well.. you know.. 🤭

My school chose to introduce and maintain an official Blended Learning programme for our students. We worked in small groups doing live sessions online while we assigned independent activities (traditional and online) for the students to complete outside the live sessions. I found myself feeling like a YouTuber and a model all in one- recording myself for my kiddies and making all kinds of games and activities to support the process.

I’d like to take a few minutes to document what I learned from my 9 week experience. Here are 5 things that really stood out to me and things that I will bear in mind going forward uncertainly but bravely to September.

1. Planning is KEY.

Having taught the same level for the past 10 years, I have come to accept that my parallel teacher and I are pretty comfortable with our content. We can often finish each other’s thoughts and sentences- Really! We do. However, this made us really delve into the how and why of what we do. In the first few weeks we met every single day from 6pm to 10pm to plan.. We then went to planning on weekends and were often at it till 2am or 3am in the morning. Eventually we got into a groove, thank God, but it only reinforced the importance of planning.

Obviously, we were not with our students in the traditional sense so our planning had to hone in on what we needed them to get from each lesson and how we would ensure that that information was meaningful enough for them to connect with and remember, without having us there with them. This is not simply a case of transplanting the lessons from your classroom into the blended learning model.

Going Forward– Examine your topics carefully. Think about the specific skills you need to impart and practise with your students. Include meaningful experiences and fun but focussed games and activities. Busy work is a waste of time and effort. Do not try to reinvent the wheel- explore different resources to use, ask other teachers for help and do not be afraid to admit that you are stumped. Share your content as well as your questions, you will only improve your own skills and uplift those around you.

2. Your team needs to be as solid as a rock.

You cannot do this alone. I would have been completely lost without my Parallel Teacher and the rest of my Lower School Curriculum Team. We discussed issues, thrashed out problems, shared ideas and commiserated together about our misery. Mind you, depending on your personality this is NOT easy. I know I have a lot of difficulty admitting I need help, accepting help and admitting that I can’t do it all. Accepting my vulnerability is a constant work in progress. However, I love my team and we work really well together! I would not trade them for the world.

Going Forward– Empower and uplift your colleagues when you can but do not be afraid to lean on them too. Many times they are as poised to catch you as you are to catch them. If each one reach one and each one teach one we will all get through. If your team belittles or degrades you, and you’ve tried your best to improve the situation- don’t walk, run away! Find a new team.

3. Schedule. Schedule. Schedule.

If there was some small part of me that didn’t see the importance of a schedule, that small part of me is now totally convinced. Whew! A schedule is extremely important. However, let’s be honest- creating the schedule is the easiest part! Implementing and maintaining it? Now we get into the meat of the issue.

Working from home is a rabbit hole if I ever saw one. It’s very easy to just work ALL DAY and then realise 10-12 hours later that you really should stop. Now, when I say create a schedule I mean include everything- work, play, tv, spiritual time, family, eating, workouts, reading, drinking water. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

Going Forward– Create a schedule. Try it out for a few days. Adjust as needed. Implement and hold yourself accountable to follow it. Yeah, I know.. easy as that. 🤭

4. Remember SELFCARE.

Listen to your body. I often send the graphic to my team that says “You can’t pour from an empty cup”. It’s the truth. And as educators we are experts at putting everyone else first and making sure they are well taken care of. We need to take it one day at a time. We must give ourselves time to recover, heal and rejuvenate DURING the term.

Going Forward– Find the little or big things that bring you comfort and peace. Whether it’s a hike, manicure, journalling, cooking or some other activity. Do it. Do it often and use it keep yourself balanced and whole.

5. Your partner is a part of your team.

I would imagine that being the spouse of a teacher is a very interesting thing. Teaching is an all encompassing, whole body, 24/7 commitment kinda job and our partners are often unsung heroes. My husband, fed and watered me throughout this experience and I am so grateful. He continues to be a blessing. He would not allow me to work myself into oblivion and ensured that I found time to take a minute off every now and then. It is really easy to think you can work in a vacuum and not affect your spouse but isn’t that unfair to them and to your relationship.

Going Forward- Make time for the people you love! They (and you) are worth it.

Believe me when I say that this list is hardly exhaustive. The more I think about it, is the more I remember. This was a uniquely dynamic learning experience for me and I hope to remember it and to be able to use it for my own growth and development for years to come.

If I may leave one final Going Forward– Remember that you are the expert and you have many charges who are looking to you for comfort, direction and stability. We can make it through. Take it one day at a time.

You are enough. ❤

Tee