Appreciations and Accessories

 Alternate title: Affirmations and Expenses

Today's blog post can't be too long. I have too many things to do in my new role as the Grade 6-7 teacher to what-started-as-24-but-changed-to-21-and-possibly-19 students. I will also need to be very selective in what and how I write this blog in the near future. I must respect the privacy of my students. 

There are just too many people to thank for all the kind words, supportive texts, DMs and emails that have been sent my way over the past two weeks. People are so encouraging and understanding. I've had so many offers of pre-designed units and lesson ideas and files curated and collected by some talented teachers that, as my friend Wendy Burch Jones has commented to me, it is almost overwhelming. I know something about myself as an educator, which I actually said in a conversation (that turned out to be an interview) - I'm like a dog; I need to pee all over a lesson plan to mark it and make it mine. That's a good and a bad trait - it would be a lot simpler if I'd be willing to follow a script, with less preparation and more guaranteed results ... but if teaching was like movie-making, I'm more of a screenwriter/method actor than just a thespian that simply shows up and delivers lines. Having said that, I really liked the activity guidelines in This Book Is Anti-Racist (it's our non-fiction read-aloud) as well as the teaching suggestions from the TDSB's Grade 6-8 Integrated Unit with an Inquiry Focus. Who wrote that resource? They need some serious thanking themselves!

The appreciations that matter most right now are ones I didn't expect to receive - from the students and parents/guardians/caregivers of Room 206. I sent a welcome letter/email to the families, based on the one sent by my teaching "partner" (we can't be partners in the truest sense because we have to stay apart, but she helps me so much with answering my questions). I got a lovely quick note from a student who thanked me for providing embedded translations in my note so her mother could understand. I also received a lengthy letter from another student, filled with questions but also with such warmth and unexpected encouragement. (I've obtained permission from her to include the first little bit of her letter here on the blog.) We had staggered entry this week and I sent some photos of my Grade 7s on their first day of school; 40% of the parents wrote back with thanks for the visuals. The Homework survey was also well-received by parents - the students were less-than-thrilled that their parents were consulted because, in their opinions, their parents are going to request that there be a lot of homework!

The students have also boosted my spirits in unexpected ways. To reduce contact, I've given students all of their individual set of supplies, including some whiteboard marker bags/erasers that I sewed myself - thanks Kiersten McBurney, aka @mrsmcb_edu on Twitter for the excellent idea!

Whiteboard kits are ready to go! Ss can use the clip to turn the whiteboard into a clipboard, the sock on a ring acts as a wipe & holds the marker, & their Plickers card is held down on the back. Hoping this helps us keep track of our materials when we take our learning outside! pic.twitter.com/OCIJnqGPB1

— Kiersten McBurney (@mrsmcb_edu) September 10, 2020

As you might expect, the students doodle on the whiteboards. What I didn't expect was that they'd doodle *about* me. (There was another board that was more specific about the student's feelings about me, but I felt like it intruded on their privacy too much to share here. This sample doesn't reveal too much about the student except that he/she/they like to do shadow lettering.)

This leads me to the second portion of my blog title - there are so many accessories to assemble, and it can get somewhat expensive! I've spent a lot already on supplies and items that will make my teaching assignment easier. I know we are told not to spend our own money but I cannot wait for the distribution centre to ship items that I required ASAP. 

Some of these items weren't technically a requirement but were helpful for making people feel valued and not forgotten.

At this point, I want to make a shout-out to all (and trust me, there are MANY of them) teachers who, whether unwillingly or by choice, are teaching virtually this year. In my school board, they are only now discovering what grades they are teaching and how many students they will have. (This information only comes from them checking their Brightspace "class shells" and finding them pre-populated with student names.) These teachers are the "forgotten ones" - cast aside and asked to wait in limbo while those fortunate enough to obtain an in-person position quickly established entry protocols, recess routines, cohort groupings, supervision schedules, and other re-opening details. As I wrote last week, I found out my teaching assignment on Thursday, September 10. That gave me 7 days to assemble my classroom, contact families, and prepare lessons. Virtual teachers find out Saturday, September 19 (if they are lucky) and begin teaching on Tuesday, September 22 - with only 4 days notice or less. They have no access to OSRs (Ontario Student Records - they indicate if a student needs accommodations or modifications, as well as their academic history) or even home phone numbers to call the parents to introduce themselves. These virtual teachers weren't even provided with much guidelines for what to do prior to this point in time. The first day of in-person school was a difficult day for many of these teachers, who ached to return to the jobs they love. Everyone, from the virtual teachers sadly following Brightspace tutorials in their empty classrooms, to the in-person teachers cautiously explaining all the new requirements to their students, to the caretakers, administrators and office assistants, received a little treat.

What else have I bought? I've purchased fabric to make the whiteboard bags/erasers, the storage bins with lids for the students to contain their supplies, rulers that won't snap like the regular school ones do, books that I can use for my language program, and satchels that can hold my hand sanitizer when I meet my students outside. I was very lucky that Dean Roberts gifted me with his voice amplification system - that's been the best investment yet, and it was free for me due to the generosity of a colleague and friend, who I am going to miss very much. Instructing while wearing a mask and a face shield makes my voice quiet and muffled, so the microphone helps a lot.

This is another selfie I took with my new paraphernalia added to my outfit. (Since this photo, I added the phone holder lanyard I got as ECOO swag a number of years ago, because my phone can't fit in the satchel.) It makes me neck/shoulders/temples tired to have so many things attached or hanging, but I really need my hands free to take attendance (with gloved hands) or complete other tasks. You can also see in the background the storage container and a few of the whiteboard bags. (I bought whiteboards before but Dean again provided me with a class set I chose to use.) 

Quick selfie on my first day with students - voice and feet are tired and brain is whirling but heart is full pic.twitter.com/kzokg2Wg4n

— Diana Maliszewski (@MzMollyTL) September 16, 2020

This post is not a "humble brag". This post lists the appreciations I've received but also extends those appreciations back to the givers - you have no idea how important those comments have been to me as a person and as a teacher. This post is not intended to itemize all the personal funds I've spent to elicit sympathy; it's an indication that there's so much more "stuff" needed to do this job safely and "effectively" (more on that word hopefully next week). Best wishes to all educators on this weird and uncharted journey!