Surviving the First Week of E-Learning

 

When the State of Illinois announced that our schools would remain closed indefinitely, there were a lot of tears around here. Mostly mine. It took me fifteen years of diapers, play groups, and soggy gold fish crackers mashed into my carpet before I finally graduated to the peace and quiet that comes from all four children being in school. But I lecture my kids thrice weekly on how important it is to adapt, and now the Corona World in which we live is forcing all of us to practice this crucial life skill. So, we're adapting. 

One thing I like about rapid change is that it brings out our creativity and improvisation. Madeleine helped me transform our dining room into a school room for our younger kids. Some of my friends are using tri-fold poster boards to create individual work spaces for each kid. Others are hooking up computer monitors to their kid's Chrome book to give them a bigger, better screen. I bought an egg timer to help James keep track of when he has to log back on to Zoom, and I'm looking for a better chair for Kate to use at her bedroom desk. Apparently my $5 garage sale wonder isn't getting it done. 

Meanwhile, I'm aware that other families are working much harder and going to much greater lengths to find solutions right now. Today I was chatting with one of the Junior High teachers, and he told me there are kids who don't want to turn the camera on because they are embarrassed about their house. Some kids don't want to unmute because they don't have a quiet place in their home, and there are younger kids hollering all of the time. The high school teachers are being extra sensitive toward students who are in charge of managing the online education of younger siblings while their parents work, or who have limited work space that they share with other family members. Okay. It's hard times for everyone, but let's not forget that there is a sliding scale. I cannot imagine being a fifteen year old trying to lead younger siblings through e-learning. I'm barely getting the job done. 

Despite chaos in every direction, I am hell bent on making things as sunny as possible at our house because if there was ever a time for positivity, it's right now. I've never been great at going to bed early and waking up cheerful, but I am trying so hard. It's one thing if we're all home together in quarantine, wearing pajamas all day and binge watching The Middle with chips and salsa plopped on the coffee table. But there are six people in this house that now have responsibilities they need to wake up for. It's not going to work for me to have a Mormon hangover (no alcohol involved), stumbling around the kitchen with mascara stains under my eyes. We already did that. For the past five months. So, we're making responsible choices, we're spending tons of time outside when we're not in school, and we've designated every Friday as "Fun Lunch" day. Everyone's lunch period overlaps in some way, so on Fridays we're going to make it count. Today we did a crepe bar. And by the way, I absolutely love how our kitchen has become the break room where we gather to eat and tell funny stories in between classes. 

Let's talk about funny stories. I cannot tell you how much I love that E-learning is a hotbed of teenage pranks and the unapologetic flying of freak flags. Every day I ask my teenagers what kind of ridiculousness they have to report, and I'm never disappointed. Some of the highlights include the teenage boy who lies in his bed every day, covers pulled up to his chin, lights out apart from a single, purple bulb that makes his bedroom have an eerie glow. Amazing. There was also a "Dog Show and Tell" session where one high school student went the extra mile by showcasing his dog, two frogs, and a scary looking insect inside a juice bottle. Apparently he was bursting with enthusiasm about all his pets and spent the entire class period waving the insect in front of his camera. But my favorite story is when one of Kate's teachers accidentally left the Zoom meeting, and as she was host, Zoom then transferred the title of host to a student. When the teacher tried to rejoin the meeting, the student refused to admit her. Half the class started chanting, "Don't let her in," while the other half hollered and insisted the student stop fooling around and allow the teacher back in. You can't make this stuff up. 

But we survived quarantine, we've survived the first week of e-learning, and from my perspective it appears that our teachers are mobilized and all hands are on deck trying to make things work for our kids. We can do this. It's now Friday afternoon and I'm sitting by the pool, and even though it's really too cold to swim, my children are leaping and belly flopping off the diving board. That's the thing about kids. Even when circumstances aren't ideal, they just tend to get on with it. So, that's what I'm trying to do.