Step 1 – Reflect on the decision to encourage the kids to document this moment in history in a diary entry. Briefly entertain the thought that perhaps I should practice what I preach.
Step 2 – See a post shared on Facebook by my cousin (whose sister had shared with her). Observe stirrings of inspiration.
Step 3 – Some days later, log on to WordPress and commence a blog post.
Step 4 – Spend 20 minutes agonising over how to correctly punctuate title of said blog post. Turn to Google for clarity. Find no clarity. Give up. Just start writing ….
….
So here we are smack-bang in the middle of an official pandemic. A time that is being referred to constantly as ‘unprecedented’ and a time indeed of many, many firsts. This virus has ‘infected’ almost every part of our daily lives and it is proving to be almost impossible to escape. Social media, traditional media, conversations with friends, conversations with kids, the wide berth strangers give you in the shops, on the footpaths and in the parks; all contribute to ensuring COVID 19 is never far from one’s thoughts. I can’t think of a time when a single news story has remained ‘top of the charts’ for such an extended period of time. Even 9-11 was beginning to fade from our screens at around the 2 week mark, wasn’t it?
To be honest, I can barely remember. What I do recall is feeling fed up with that story, wondering when the news was going to move on. I have yet to feel this way about Corona.
But I did not start this post to reflect on how news-worthy current and past events have been. I have started this blog to document for myself, and to share with others, a slightly alternative view of how life has changed.
As I mentioned, my cousin shared these questions on Facebook. There is absolutely no shortage of Coronavirus related material on this platform, but this post caught my attention. I liked the way these questions force you to consider the silver lining, to acknowledge that there is good to be found if you just look for it. I love how it shifted my focus from what has been cancelled in my life – Parkrun, soccer, China, live music (both individual gigs and festivals), brunches and boozy lunches, catch-ups with extended family, the quadrennial ‘bundling up and shipping off the kids to the grandparents’ etc – to the opportunities and experiences The Virus has opened up. Immediately I could think of answers to these questions, and I began to compile such a lengthy mental list, I thought they would be an ideal catalyst for satisfying my own desire to ‘Anne Frank’ this moment in time.
- Work
The first ‘good thing’ that I noticed were changes at work. Coronavirus turned the last week of Term 1 here in QLD into student free days. This meant that the students (for the most part) were on holidays a week early, while teachers (for the most part) converted and created content to make learning remotely (should it ever come to that!) possible.
This was a mammoth task. It required (and achieved – for the most part) a huge shift in mindset, skill set and pedagogical values. For me personally, I had never before felt such a sense of accomplishment, productivity or collegial engagement in my career. Yes, the learning curve was steep, but for the first time, I actually felt like I had enough time, space and support to navigate such challenging terrain. The skills I developed in those five days will make my teaching easier and my planning so much more structured and accessible from here on in. Finally, I have had the time and support to troubleshoot all those little issues with OneNote that provided barriers I was too busy to overcome pre-virus.
This pandemic has forced me to persevere when learning new skills. I have had to learn how to format my class notebook because this is going to be by far the best way to issue content, track progress and monitor student engagement when I don’t have them face-to-face. This pandemic has forced my colleagues and I to collaborate where possible and it has forced the ‘higher ups’ in the education system to give us the resources to do so. Finally, finally, my colleagues and I are able to execute what all the best practice literature professes we should be doing – collaborate!Working smarter, not harder and delivering content in multiple medias for optimum engagement and maximise student outcomes.
I know for a fact that my pedagogy is forever changed; and for the better. I’m hoping that what the QLD teaching profession has achieved in just 5 administrative days can convince the policy makers to bring about the changes so desperately needed to improve teaching conditions – possibly even nationwide.
2. Home
The second ‘good thing’ to come about from Corona is a deeper admiration for my kids. The virus has forced me to be in the company of my children far more than I normally would. I am amazed at my daughter’s creativity. She has her father’s ability to find novel and innovative ways to spend time, not just waste it. I have always been a firm believer that kids should have to fend for themselves (occasionally) from the time they can utter the words, “I’m bored!” Recently, there has been mounting evidence to back up what I have always believed – boredom is not something to be avoided at all cost. What I didn’t know is that it is an essential part of childhood and that our current creative crisis and serious deficits in university student’s (and young worker’s) ability to ‘think outside the box’ is due to popular parenting styles that structured (and supervised) every aspect of a child’s life. I have seen first hand how this concept that ‘boredom breeds creativity’ in my daughter. Results can be viewed here.
My son has had time to practice his bike riding and now he is getting quite good. His confidence, risk-taking and fitness levels have sky-rocketed this past week and he has managed to ride to Samford and back (21km round trip) twice! I am glad that we don’t own any game consoles as I am seeing him grow into a young boy who is asking to go out to the park or to join my husband and I when we go on a run. And now, it’s even easier to bring him (he rides while we run), further modelling and instilling an active life-style.
Feeling like I’m missing out.
I never even realised that I was affected by the posts on social media where friends and family were out doing things I wanted to do. I no longer get updates from Urban List Brisbane in my Facebook feed telling me about the latest cafe or bar or restaurant or bike path or park or rooftop or mountain or national park that I should be exploring.
I no longer feel any obligation to ‘make the most’ of my weekends or time with my family when Youcamp stories flood my Instagram account.
I don’t feel time-pressured.
I don’t feel guilty that my weekend wasn’t as productive as I’d wanted because we didn’t ‘go anywhere’ or ‘do anything’.
I’ve stopped being influenced by outside examples of what living my best life looks like – and I am genuinely surprised to learn that I used to do this.
And I’ve stopped being so smug about being immune to the fomo culture perpetuated by social media.
I have started Zooming!
I love the fact that I am talking more regularly to family that I would usually only ‘see’ once a year … at best. I love that we are all exercising together on a regular basis and the kind of workouts we do are not what I would normally do – thus strengthening and increasing mobility in body parts I usually neglect.
I have started moving more. Those with an Apple watch would be familiar with the Move, Exercise and Stand rings. Since I have been on holidays I have closed all three every day and I am feeling all the better for it.
I have started to understand on an even deeper level how truly blessed I am. With social distancing measures in place and the variety of activities I can participate in significantly reduced, I have come to the realisation that my little family is enough. These last few nights, by the fire pit, watching my kids toast marshmallows, I had a truly deep sense of contentment and a feeling that there was no place on Earth I’d rather be.
And no one I’d rather be with.
Wide in Tights 