Upping Our Game for Back to School

Coronavirus and school in the spring time is a blur to me. I'm thankful Stella, Sophia, and I survived e-learning and the swift upending of school and life as we knew it. Messy Mommy/my sister-in-law, Holly and I have talked about how e-learning, school, and juggling work and life while everyone is having to stay home endlessly. Stella and Sophia's teacher, Mrs. Burt and her paraprofessional, Mrs. Morrissette did an outstanding job of moving quickly to e-learning, constant Zooming to keep the kids connected, and communicating with the parents. 

It was still all really hard, as Stella demonstrated in the above picture from this spring. After talking with my friends and seeing so many conversations on social media, and it didn't matter the age of your kids or the school, it was really hard for a lot of people. Some days it felt like a tidal wave. Stella definitely did not want her mom teaching her and plenty of screaming matches ensued. We didn't know how school work would be graded and I was trying to make sure she completed her assignments. While an open concept sounded beautiful when we built our home two years ago, it is a bit of a nightmare for e-learning and parents working from home. I luged school supplies to and from the kitchen table constantly and completed work piled up. Snacks and lunches were also hit or miss and often not healthy as we were trying to plow through school work. I could go on and on about the challenges but you probably have plenty of angst from your own spring e-learning. 

Holly is a former grade school principal and I'm a former high school teacher and our hearts are with teachers and administrators as they try to figure out safe options for students. We recognize how hard they worked this spring during an unimaginable time. We know they are trying to find ways to provide a meaningful, safe education for our kids this fall and are grateful for all that they are doing. We want the teachers and administrators to be safe as well.

Holly and I have had endless conversations on what could happen this fall. While our schools have announced that we are going back five days, we know it could change in a moment as the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold. School districts across the nation are changing plans constantly as the pandemic impacts different states.

While we survived this spring, we are determined to up our game for back to school this fall in whatever format school occurs. We want to provide a healthier - mentally and physically - and happier experience for our kids and families. So, get ready! We will be looking for tips, tricks, and hacks to help us all thrive this fall, even during a global pandemic.

First up, we created this check list to talk with our kids about what worked and what did not work in the spring with school and e-learning. Like I said, our schools have said we are going back but we know it could change in a blink. Now is the time to talk with your kids and get their input for the fall. We're looking to Stella, Sophia, and my niece, Eleanora for their thoughts and feelings as we start planning for a better back to school. We hope you will join us and will share your tips and ideas too. Together, we can make back to school better.