Before the Guilford school system officially called off classes “indefinitely,” my mind was already racing with how I was going to structure our weeks off from the Magic Yellow Bus. School. I have to run school from home. But I don’t want to teach them school-things, I want to teach them, “They should teach this kind of stuff at school” things. Like; the art of tipping, balancing a checkbook, how to whistle with your fingers (after 20+ seconds of skilled hand-washing, of course).
The expectation is to be dressed to your shoes by 9 am. First class, gym. We’ll head outside of the house for some fresh air. Next up? A Corona update. We’ll talk, ask questions, and all will be reminded why it’s important to put distance between ourselves and the people we love right now. Then we’ll spend time on things like History. The History of Me: Mistakes I’ve made in the past and how I can avoid them in the future. Math: Grab all the snacks we mindlessly eat throughout the day and add up exactly how much food we’re stuffing into our pie-holes. Family: Every kid teaches their own class on whatever they choose.
But, when I think about what’s going to challenge me most this week, it’s actually not keeping four kids engaged. What’s going to challenge me most is having to step away from all of the other people I care about in my life. And I don’t mean the physical distance. I mean checking in on my friend whose Dad is sick, or my loved ones fighting cancer, or my family managing loss, or my friends battling depression and anxiety, or my elders who are most at risk. Being a teacher, principal, secretary, school nurse, cafeteria worker, janitor, and the dean of students, is where my attention will lie throughout these upcoming weeks. So, if you don’t hear from me, it’s not because I’m not thinking about all of you, it’s because my focus is exactly where the Universe is calling for my focus to be—on my family.