I might be exaggerating greatly, but that’s the song that popped in my head when my 2nd and 5th Graders were successfully online with their teachers and classmates this morning.
It’s Tuesday, so that means that I went to the grocery store early in the morning. I wiped off all of the groceries, gave the produce a bath, and Caleb helped me put everything away. Isaac and Nathan made their own breakfasts and were ready for their online school, which started at 9am. Nathan was ready so early that the teachers had to tell him to go away until 8:55. They were still trying to get ready.
Why in the world did Isaac and Nathan get on their computers at 8:30, if their online learning didn’t begin until 9? Well, yesterday, the site crashed because of the thousands (185,000 students) of children and teachers online. It still crashed today, but it was up and running during my kids’ learning time (9am, 12:30pm).
So, with this new plan in place, comes a new and more independent schedule for the boys:
- 8am wake up
- 9am Isaac and Nathan do online school/Caleb writes for WSCH
- 10am Packets sent home from FCPS
- 11am Snack and play in the backyard with Lizzie
- 12pm Music
- 12:30 Caleb’s online school/Isaac: Writing, Nathan: Phonics, Reading, sometimes Writing
- 1:30 Lunch
- 2:30 Film WSCH
- 3pm Unfinished schoolwork/Conference with Mom
- 3:30pm School day ends
I love a schedule…
Now! I need to tell you about the differences in online learning for a 2nd Grader and a 5th Grader, and that will lead you to pray for the 2nd Grade teachers! Nathan’s teachers are team teaching. There are 50 kids with 2 teachers and an assistant. When they started, it was very casual. The kids were talking and saying hi to each other. It was cute. However, the system became so overwhelmed that it somehow kicked the teachers out of it and they had to log on and reboot. They muted all of the kids, turned off their videos, etc… and then they taught the kids how to raise their hands, turn on their microphone when it was their turn to speak, etc… There was always a few kids that the teachers had to constantly tell them to turn off their microphones. So seriously, pray for the teachers of young kids.
The 5th Graders, who are that much older and computer savvy, started their math lesson at 9:08. They had an assignment posted on Google Classroom, which Isaac completed right away. (Isaac’s teachers are teaching solo. Only 25 kids.)
And the 6th Graders? Caleb’s teachers are also team teaching, which makes a class of 101 students! Yikes! However, I’m sure that Caleb will be able to make the best of it.
New things are always exciting and fresh. Hopefully I’ll still be singing about a weary world rejoicing in June.
And what will I be doing with all of my “free” (7am-12pm) time now??? My first order of business is to rewrite the Child Protection Policy for church. Woo hoo!
suburban shebear 