Today was day six of professional development and training before our school year officially starts. My district has chosen to use a hybrid model for K-3 students, and a remote model for 4th grade and up. It's been (and still is!!!) a HUGE learning curve for all stakeholders as we explore the different learning management platforms, get trained over video conferencing apps, and create new day-to-day expectations for students and adults.

At the same time, we're setting up our classrooms so that the students are physically distant but still motivated to learn, participate, and achieve. Today I stuck footprints to the floor to show students where to stand when lining up (yes, the line now goes around two sides of the room!), I attended a webinar on creating on-line content for the remote half of my class, I finished the first module of a course on remote learning created by the state department of education, I created a series of activities to assess students' sight word skills via their ipads, I took an epipen training (because epipens will now be kept in classrooms to reduce nurse visits), and I got caught up on my email. Well, most of my emails…

I have to admit, I'm very nervous about having the children back in school. But that's not what this blog is about. I know there are many pros and many cons to in-person learning right now, and I'm grateful that it's not my decision to make. But I am nervous.

This year is going to be very, very different.

I won't be able to hug my little ones and slap them high five in the morning.

I won't be able to pull up a chair and work side by side with them.

I won't be able to hold their hands in the hallway or at recess, or pat them on the shoulder as I pass their desk.

And wearing that mask ALL DAY LONG? I can still feel it on my nose when I crawl into bed at night…

Sigh. Deep breath – in through the nose, out through the mouth (much easier to do without the mask on!). It won't be all bad.

I will be able to meet my new little ones face-to-face, mask-to-mask, in-person.

I will be able to differentiate their learning using technology and work with them in smaller groups.

I will be able to model kindness, perseverance, and the ability to learn while having fun even in tough situations.

I will be able to connect with my little ones and remind them how smart, how brave, how loved, how unique, and how amazing they are.

Because I'm a teacher. Whether remote, hybrid, or in-person. We've got this!

(But I will miss the hugs!)