Technically, the first week starting on March 16th was the start of the kids' Spring Break, but the Thursday before everything had started with extracurricular activities being canceled and the start of suggested social distancing here in Florida. But we did take it seriously. Being from New York and having lived in both Massachusetts and Connecticut in addition to New York State, we are very connected to people who were and still are in the heavy hit area. So all of our spring break plans were canceled and we have been hanging out at home.
We have been doing some basic online school since last week (as spring break technically was over) using the online desktops that the school provides for the kids, reading the online textbooks. One teacher set up an account with individual assignments on iknowit.com for math. Tomorrow we officially begin quarter 4 distance learning through school. That is the time that the school distract has been able to give teachers to get online classrooms set up and to decide how they want to run their classes. So I have been trying to get my high-schooler logged in and set up in the google classroom with the codes sent by his teachers. My other son is in a self contained special education 8th grade classroom. While he has been doing the online math, and some reading, I got an email from the teacher saying that some of the students do not have access to online, so she is going to do paper packets for all the kids to make it uniform. Tomorrow I will go to school and pick up his packet. She will be available for zoom, email, or text.
Having 2 children with special needs and in very specific special education programs, this transition to being at home has been very hard for both of them. Neither of them adjust to change well, and though so many people have told me I should homeschool them, I have avoided it becasue I think they need social interaction with peers (though the few times we have done partial years homeschooling, they do well academically because it can be completely tailored to their needs, including breaks and environment). But I also have avoided it becasue both boys have significant behavioral challenges, and I believe thy respond better to correction and modeling by having multiple adults in their lives that they can turn to. With just one or two people, the anger and frustration gets focused on those adults. It can be a challenging situation. So, my hats again go off to the teachers and support staff that has worked with both of my children at schools, and I am again reminded how hard it is to be one of the few adults that my children can turn to becasue they do not have access to their teachers to get the emotional and social support from them as well.
They need more people in their lives, and we need a break from each other so we can enjoy each other more, and I need a break from dealing with their challenges and managing their needs. So while I think i could home-school them well, I think from a social and emotional aspect, having more good adults in their lives is very important. For my own sanity, and probably theirs as well, having more people in our lives is a good thing. This stay at home time is challenging but we are trying to make the best of it, especially as everyone in this house technically has a condition that would put them in the high risk category.
So today, I am taking care of the chickens, guiding the kids, trying to keep calm to help my son with brain damage stay stable. We are enjoying the blessings of the school lunch delivery program: they took away the bus as our route has so few kids that were getting lunch, but the school employee got permission to use her personal car to deliver the lunches to the designated spot--so thank God for her willingness to step up even more than she already was. Today I will be continuing to work on my certification to teach online, and hopefully get that finished by tomorrow and be able to take the exams.
By then hopefully all the background checks will be back, and I can get approved to start teaching ESL online. I had headed in that direction becasue I need to be available for the kids, and their appointments and needs. The current pandemic is making it clear to me that having a work from home job again is going to be beneficial. Its just going to be a hard April as we will have little income for the month, but much of the world is in the same predicament. And those that are essential employees and having to keep working are at such a higher risk, i do not envy them.
Hoping that people are able to stay the course, follow the rules of social distancing and only necessary outings, and that this pandemic will begin to slow down, and eventually run its course and be done. And then we can all recover in so many ways. I think we will be changed, and I hope it is for the better.
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