My family, my friends, and my students. Holding space for them. So much of right now is day-to-day. Earlier we were on a Hangout with the class, and one of my kids said “I was looking through Google Classroom, and I wanted to print out the pictures you posted of the room.” It was just so sweet. It just hit me; the little things you take for granted–when they’re not there, how easily you can miss them. Sometimes you need a moment to grieve the things that you can’t experience or have right now. What was most important to you before you had to social distance?
My loved ones and my work were always super important. It’s shifted in that so much of my identity is being a teacher and it’s so strange to do that at a distance. I’m working as much if not more than I would be, but it’s not the same type of energy or mental space. It’s just a different kind of teaching now.
What’s the first thing you’ll do when this is over?
Go be with the people that are dear to me that I haven’t seen. I think most people are craving connection and the communities that they can’t be with right now. I just want to hug those people and laugh with them in person.
What are you doing to pass the time?
Teaching takes up a lot of time. It feels really fast day-to-day, but it’s been since March. I am getting ready for puppies, so it feels nice to think about caring for another life. I’m looking forward to being with them! What makes you happy right now?
Getting to slow down and spend quality time with my family daily. It makes me happy seeing how resilient people are being across the world. especially people in professions that might have been taken for granted earlier. I think my students and so many students are doing amazing and I’m just so proud of them. It’s hard being away from them.
What would you tell yourself three months ago with the knowledge you have today?
I think I would tell myself to let go of things I can’t control. It’s really easy to get bogged down and frustrated, but if you try to look for the small positive things, and things to be grateful for, it’ll hopefully make it a little bit easier. [My biggest lesson has been to] rely on other people more than I was used to and be okay with that vulnerability.
