Socially Distant, But Intentionally Connected

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I think it's a safe bet to say that no one expected cities, restaurants, and schools to shut down; but here we are living a new temporary normal. Like many educators, I am missing my classroom and students - and frankly, missing the ability to leave my house.

That being said, social distancing has made me be intentional about how I connect with my friends, my students, and my family. The challenges created by COVID-19 have birthed creativity and innovation in my approach to how I educate my students and how I educate my seven year old at home.

We have read together. We have learned about animals from Wild Kratts. We have learned about people in history from The Who Was? Show. We have taken virtual field trips to Hawaii, the Smithsonian, and regions of Italy and China. We have found ways to problem solve by building with Legos; and we have practiced addition and subtraction by playing with Bakugan.

Every day we discover new ways to learn.

Every day we discover new ways to connect.

It is extremely easy to watch the news, to read news articles, to feel the seemingly ever-shrinking walls of my house and think of every complaint possible. And there is nothing wrong with feeling anxiety over the reality we are currently facing. Believe me, I have been there. Shoot, I am there - off and on - every day.

However, the more I intentionally connect with my seven year old, the more I realize that quality connection is worth far more than quantity connection.

This is a challenging time, no doubt; but it gives us the opportunity to slow down and engage in moments with the people closest to us. 

If we are intentional with those moments, when this temporary new normal is over, we will be stronger and more connected than ever before.

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