Tales from Remote Learning
Ah change, my constant (and often unwelcome) companion, here we are again.
Two weeks ago we were at school agonizing about whether or not to cancel the Montessori Model United Nations trip to New York City because we were just beginning to hear about this new coronavirus.
One week ago we were pretty sure school would close for a week or two so we tried out videoconferencing at school with the students and asked them to bring home all of their books and work.
Now we are at the end of week one of project Remote Learning and getting ready to hunker down in our homes for the foreseeable future (weeks or months?). It has all happened so fast!
TALES FROM REMOTE LEARNING WEEK ONE
The first lesson should be no surprise: adolescents rise to the challenge in a crisis. The students have been steady, flexible, forgiving of one another’s shortcomings, diligent in their school work, open about their fears, compassionate toward one another and toward those unseen who are suffering,
The second lesson should be no surprise either to anyone who has studied Montessori philosophy: human beings are adaptable.
The third lesson just makes me feel old: these students are digital natives and can pick up any technology with ease. They have been truly patient and excellent teachers to those of us born before computers were commonplace.
The fourth lesson is also common sense, but we are living it first hand: it is difficult to sit in one place and be in front of a screen for any length of time. We have limited video call lessons and discussions to two hours per day.
The fifth lesson is that the only reason we are able to transition to remote learning is that we just spent seven months building a strong and resilient community. We have struggled, cried, argued, debated, played, and studied together and formed bonds that are helping us get through this now.
The sixth lesson is that purposeful work takes many forms. In more normal times I would be looking for work and studies that connect us physically to the land, to our community, and to our place on the planet and for ways to make meaningful contributions to that community. Now, in these uncertain times of coronavirus and Covid-19, perhaps our purposeful work is to support one another, to maintain and strengthen our community, and to provide some normalcy for ourselves and our families. Personally, I am grateful to feel a sense of purpose and not to just wallow in fear and anxiety. I have new systems to create, new technology to learn, and most of all students who may need help navigating the strangeness of this situation. It has lifted my spirit to talk with them every day.