This morning was wound in barbed wire. If I tried to reach over the fence, I worried I'd get caught. Colleagues speed-walked their way through planning periods with tensions and questions. My students and I looked at a calendar with dates set for the rest of the month, but it was filled with broken promises. The announcement of closure until April 14 left us saying, "Now we know."
I was in touch with a childhood friend from Florence today. She reported the eeriness of the shutdown, closed museums, universities, and shops. She complained of long lines at the grocery stores and worries about the economy, but because she and her family are well, she's taking long walks. She's enjoying the spring. She wrote, "In the bad of it all it is a chance to tune down, enjoy a nice book, the company of close ones and contemplate days lived in simplicity. Those should be nice lessons for us all."
I think 'eeriness' is a good description. This line is my school, too: "colleagues speed-walked their way through planning periods with tensions and questions." It is good to KNOW we are closed, yet, there is still so much unknown. Here's to a healthy 'tune-down.'
ReplyDeleteYes, but acknowledge our privilege and luck, too.
ReplyDeleteOf course, and acknowledge that the story that is unfolding day by day. We know about school closures, but there’s so much we still don’t know.
DeleteEeriness is a good word to describe things. I'm teaching online, trying to be positive, and hoping it will get better, soon.
ReplyDelete“This morning was wound in barbed wire.” Great line that captured the uncertainty of school closure. I appreciate the advice from your friend. It’s time to tune down. Take care!
ReplyDeleteThe contrast between the joy and rest of your first paragraph with the tension of your second paragraph is exactly what I'm feeling. Thanks for writing it so well.
ReplyDelete