tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post3750837387032261391..comments2023-11-19T21:42:17.901-08:00Comments on My Path to Mommyhood: Quarantine Stress Is ExhaustingJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15868505568965284742noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-7197050688503397032020-04-30T17:29:24.519-07:002020-04-30T17:29:24.519-07:00You are a rock star! I am just amazed at how you m...You are a rock star! I am just amazed at how you managed to pull this all together and get it all working in such a short period of time. And I am glad you're giving yourself some down time on the weekend. You've earned it! <br /><br />I'll be thinking of Bryce tomorrow & cheering him on from across the lake. :) loribethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09272814565916935113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-50791832692762325582020-04-29T12:21:30.458-07:002020-04-29T12:21:30.458-07:00That all sounds absolutely overwhelming. Teaching...That all sounds absolutely overwhelming. Teaching is a really demanding profession in the best of times (and obviously, these are not the best of times) and every teacher I know is incredibly stressed right now. You do such incredibly important work and I cannot commend you enough for what you're persevering through. It's rough. <br /><br />Ooof, that PhD stuff for Bryce - that also sounds truly difficult and stressful. <br /><br />Thinking of both of you and wishing you the best in this really tough, exhausting time. <br /><br />Reneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03976973387918064285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-45623684460994309982020-04-27T16:02:44.455-07:002020-04-27T16:02:44.455-07:00You are a hero. Love you!You are a hero. Love you!Pat Wheelhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05522148669774592247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-38269464310434124072020-04-25T17:13:32.218-07:002020-04-25T17:13:32.218-07:00"Letting go of things that don't fit the ..."Letting go of things that don't fit the new reality." There's another gem we all learned from surviving infertility.<br /><br />I had a big triennial IEP meeting via conference call this week and was quite proud of the data and plan we put together for the student.<br /><br />But we can't carry on as if this is all normal. It is anything but.<br /><br />I'll be thinking of you and Bryce this week! You both got this. <3Infertile Phoenixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11033358612204465661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-52436606773802491982020-04-24T21:07:05.973-07:002020-04-24T21:07:05.973-07:00I can relate to much of this. The possibilities of...I can relate to much of this. The possibilities of the technology are exciting, but it is a lot of work. I have been trying to come up with reusable activities like book reports, recipes, journal etc because creating original content every week is a ton of work. It’s not like i can show up for class with half a plan and improvise (which I did perhaps more than I should brag about ...lol). But I am learning new tips and hacks all the time. (I still have to figure out quizzes though. Heh).<br /><br />Another teacher showed me something today I would have never guessed. You can create a worksheet in google slides by changing the size of the page, snipping a photo of a PDF, then setting the image as a BACKGROUND the students can type over. Crazy. I’ll send you the video if I remember.<br /><br />My situation is a bit complicated by the fact I am essentially the technical leader of my team now, as I am most comfortable with this learning curve it seems. So I’m really teaching students and teachers/Ed assistants and MYSELF at once. I can only dream of achieving your level of productivity as far as actual course design....our kids get at most one or two new assignments a week....but for many, that’s all they can really do anyway, and we have things like IXL and Raz kids. So far no one is breathing down my neck lol. I’m trying not to feel too guilty about it. I keep parents busy by telling them to teach their kids google read and write hahaha. I get to sound smart and intimidating anyway.<br /><br />Oh yeah kids....it’s a gong show. Thank god I have independent kids. I just try to focus on what I can do well every day. Like today was so stressful but there were some real achievements. And I just realized I can comment on blogs from my phone if I use google chrome.<br /><br />Anyway sorry I just blabbed on about myself in your blog. I guess, just a reminder again you are not alone. I think the key is to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t.<br /><br />torthúilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738803052167620020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-76045504447474269932020-04-24T19:36:52.463-07:002020-04-24T19:36:52.463-07:00The technology is cool, isn’t it? I’ve turned my c...The technology is cool, isn’t it? I’ve turned my car into a recording booth for all the lectures, which is a ton of upfront work between making the slides/writing the script, recording and then editing, but all those videos are being saved for future courses, so this work is paying off on the back-end. Yes to the auto grading (my learners benefit a lot from it too) and utilizing as many tools to take out the mundane. And know that as someone who was adopting these technologies prior to the pandemic, I’ve been insanely impressed with what I’ve been seeing from the preK-12 sector. All of you are doing amazing things with no transition time at all.<br /><br />All that said, I get why you’re insanely exhausted. It’s hard not to be with life turned upside down. Tell Bryce I remember my qualifying exam very well (was a horrible and hard experience), but they wouldn’t let him get to this point if they didn’t think he was ready and I’m sure he’ll get through (warning, there will be some scars, but it’s part of the experience many of us can attest to). <br /><br />Yes to suffering. We’re in this together. And though the world will never be the same, I know too well the beauty that comes from tragedy.Cristyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04317873211902543387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-11590436311309210812020-04-24T17:21:11.308-07:002020-04-24T17:21:11.308-07:00You sound like such an amazing, dedicated teacher....You sound like such an amazing, dedicated teacher. But to continue to be the amazing dedicated teacher you are, I'm really glad you're taking time out on Saturdays, not making phone calls, and giving yourself some time to breathe. Brava, Jess.<br /><br />Yes, it's easy to take on comparative pain personally this way. Don't deny your own exhaustion and stress. You sound stressed and exhausted, and you're allowed to feel that way. All those meetings would make me stressed and exhausted without everything else! (I'm going to listen to that podcast - I love Brene Brown.)<br /><br />I hope spring will help, and it WILL arrive. There's nothing more certain.<br /><br />Good luck to Bryce. I hope after 1 May he and you will have a bit more time to relax and recover from this time.<br /><br />And finally, yes, you're allowed to say you're glad you don't have kids right now. We're allowed to recognise that there are real benefits to our lives without kids, even though we wanted them. I'm glad you have time to collapse (although I'm struggling to get over the visual I have of Jess-as-a-pile-of-goo) in the evenings.<br /><br />Sending hugs.Malihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03928262526502319303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-51160881693532459522020-04-24T07:53:17.940-07:002020-04-24T07:53:17.940-07:00Oh yes, the exhaustion. The endless exhaustion. Th...Oh yes, the exhaustion. The endless exhaustion. This online school is pretty amazing with the technology, but yes, the teachers have SO.MUCH.MORE to do. But wow, reading about how your incorporating technology and all the different avenues to teach, that's pretty fascinating. And it brings up a good point, if this is going to prepare kids different for the "real world" of meetings and tech. I don't know. It'll be interesting. And funny about the Schitt's Creek because that's exactly how I've been spending my evenings lately. ;)Risa Kerslakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11446679711343114478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998166587816121679.post-14427869137992709182020-04-24T02:33:30.699-07:002020-04-24T02:33:30.699-07:00I’m taking solace in all the articles telling me t...I’m taking solace in all the articles telling me that it’s impossible to be productive under lockdown, and that everyone is depressed and exhausted and we shouldn’t try to get everything done …. But seriously, yes: I am whacked, and friends are saying the same. Also, time is really flying – things are so strange right now.<br /><br />I love the idea of accepting that everyone is suffering differently and you can feel for them without taking anything away from your reality. On this note, but maybe not the same, I have a friend (a stay-at-home mother) who constantly comes back to me, if I express the tiniest bit of negativity or talk about what someone is going through (even when I recently told her someone had died..) with responses on the theme of “At least they have/had XYZ… “ or “Try having my kids…” or “Try having my marriage…” etc. I feel like saying to her: putting that aside for a minute won't diminish it, don't worry... I think empathy has to be learned to a certain extent, sometimes by listening to unempathetic people like her, sometimes by reading about it. I’ll look up the pie concept, sounds really interesting.<br />Also … "Lounging on the couch watching marathons of Schitt's Creek drinking vats of wine." – OMG, can people see into my house?? <br />Different Shoreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01552043510975777003noreply@blogger.com