March 20, 2020
Dear Somebody:
I hope you are doing well through all this.
I am staying at home with my mom and two sisters in Tampa. My mom and one of my sisters work but my youngest sister is only 10 years. The effect of coronavirus impacted my job and my youngest sister's schooling. I have a teenage brother as well whose education is being affected (he's very upset about it and it's depressing him--I would feel the same way at his age).
Tampa is on a sort of lockdown. I haven't been keeping up with the news per se, but in my own experience I have seen doctor's appointments postponed, in person meetings prohibited, restaurants temporarily closed or restricting service to drive thru and take out, limited hours at Publix, and my own mom basically isolating herself in the house when she gets home from work (she's a nurse) for fear that she may be carrying the virus. My other sister who is working is employed at a hotel and they haven't closed because there are hotel stipulations, I guess, to protect the people already staying there and checking in. That could be for a number of reasons. Maybe people are unable to return home, having flight complications or something, because of the coronaviruses. These are just guesses. I really don't know. My sister wants to switch jobs and actually got an interview at Target since I guess they are looking for more support in these times. It's interesting the people who are still willing to work during this time and the reasons they may have for wanting to. I want to work because I can hardly afford not to, but at the same time I really really don't want to get sick or to get others sick so I haven't been applying elsewhere. Plus, I'm not like my sister: Target would be a difficult place for me to work. Or maybe it is just a difficult job and people make it out to be less than it is.
I am a math tutor. I recently got hired but that will soon be put on pause (the interview process for another job I was candidate for has also been put on pause) once the learning center shuts down and goes 100% online for some period that is unknown right now. Right now our math center hasn't closed because we have so few students enrolled that there are never more than 5 people in the place at a time and parents are still looking for support to keep their children learning and occupied and to ease the transition for students from classroom to virtual/home learning. I have helped support a home-schooled student but that was just one student.
Right now I am working on creating a sort of schedule or home program for my little sister. It's kind of fun to look up the curriculum for her grade and think of ideas to teach her but it is also a lot of work. I am in my comfort zone though because I am used to teaching individually so that's good. It just feels a little silly. I remind myself of when my other sister and I were in elementary school and I would "play school" and try to teach her the things I learned in school.
I keep telling myself that I don't want to be a teacher "when I grow up" but I did at one point want to be a professor. It's just that there are so many things to learn and be a part of that it's difficult for me to say, "I want to be a teacher and THAT will be my career path". I have a lot of interest in research, lab work, computers and building technology so....I just think a lot about that. Now is not the time to really think about it I don't think but I think about my career a lot.
How has this epidemic impacted your work style, career choices, and/or goals? What structure are you creating for yourself? Are their children in your household and how are they adjusting?
peace,
Faith
Dear Faith,
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry your job has been postponed. Just know that you have something valuable to offer the world, and that is knowledge. Being able to teach someone something that is difficult, like math, is truly a blessing. Be strong. We need people like you to show us that it is not impossible.
I have a son that is now going on week two of no school. But it’s harder because he is special needs. On the spectrum to be exact. My biggest fear currently is how do I help him? How do I teach my child how anything when I’m not trained in special needs education at all? I mean I did TA work in high school and my dream was to one day become a teacher. But having my son young cut that short. I had to leave college and do a quick program to pay for the never ending cost of a child. It keeps me up at night thinking about him. Will this lock down cause him to recess? Will he lose everything he has learned? Will he fall even farther behind? Why him? It’s like I see all these parents complaining on Facebook about having to actually watch their kids and he’ll them and it makes me sick. Everyday with my kid is a learning experience. And my only complaint is will I be good enough for him. I don’t care about being laid off for a month. Money comes and goes. All I care about is his future. His education. How can I expect him to one day be on grade level when I can’t teach him appropriately.
So you see, your anxieties and nerves are mine too. We feel these moments more than others I suppose. I admit I’m a train wreck of nerves. Even before this pandemic I would spend my days worrying. Wondering what more can I do. Am I doing enough? Will I ever do enough? But my words to you are stay strong. Keep tour head up and don’t give up. Live the dream I always wanted. Become a professor. Help other people like you and me who want to make a difference in education. Show people that learning is truly a gift to be shared.
Love,
A nervous mom.
Hi Nervous Mom,
DeleteAll I can do advice wise is give the same advice you just gave me: Don't give up!
If all you can do is search the internet and look to your circle for ways to support your child, please do that for now knowing that's all you can do. I see that you are worried about your child's regression, but you are no less of a mother and he is no less of a student for not retaining everything. A lot of students will have gaps in their learning and will "regress" due to the time not in school. The ones that don't have a privilege and they are not the norm. I read an article on an education sight about students newly or temporarily homeschooled kids and it said that during this unusual time children will remember more how safe they felt than anything they learned in school.
I don't have any children, nor do I know if I will ever, but I just think that keeping your child safe and being a happy parent is the greatest thing you can do for your kid. I'm saying this from the perspective of a child. I know it's hard to be grateful when you have a lot of worries or concerns (that is a learning process for sure), so I wish you the best so I'll keep you in my thoughts and metta practices and write with you in mind. Thank you so much for your encouragement and thank you for the letter. Please continue to write!
peace,
Faith