Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Remember, site banner rules apply here too!

Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: A thread for everything  (Read 7919 times)

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
A thread for everything
« on: August 14, 2020, 09:13:25 AM »

Thought I’d start a new thread since the other one is kind of long. Just seeing how everyone is doing?

Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2020, 10:07:37 PM »

I haven't listened to the podcast yet. I did download Apple Music, not realizing you have to pay for a subscription?? One more reason to hate Apple. It's not unreasonable, but it pisses me off when most other music services - Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio - are free with ads. Also, I hate Apple LOL. I've been super busy this week anyway, so I may wait until they have several episodes up to start a free trial. Glad to hear it's good though!
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2020, 10:13:40 PM »

I'm doing okay. Today was the first day of school with kids (in person), and it went so well! Things went smoothly with all the new procedures we have in place, and the kids wore their masks without complaint.  I was so proud of them!  So that makes me feel better about things. It has been very stressful leading up to this day though.  My administrators have been nothing but supportive and reassuring, but there have been so many unknowns and uncertainties, it's been hard to plan ahead.  I got a student teacher pawned off on me at the last minute yesterday after her neurotic cooperating teacher freaked out at the thought of being exposed to Covid by a college student and said she couldn't mentor her.  I also got a new student added to my roster at the end of the day, which messed up my perfectly, six-foot spaced rows of desks.  At one point, I was standing in the middle of my classroom with my tape measure literally sobbing yesterday as I moved desks around for at least the fourth time, trying to find a way to get them to all fit within the guidelines.  But I feel much better after meeting half the class today and seeing how things went.  It was so nice being back in my classroom with kids, even though I was exhausted by the end of the day.  My feet are killing me, and I'm hoarse from projecting my voice through a mask all day.  Gotta get back into teacher shape after 5 months of not being on my feet talking all day! LOL
« Last Edit: August 20, 2020, 10:15:36 PM by RokofAges75 »
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2020, 09:43:03 AM »

Yikes! I’m glad your first day went well. Hopefully your second fist day goes just as well. I don’t envy you or anyone else who has to deal with this new way of life. I just hope it stays successful with not everyone ending up back in quarantine where we first started.

Can you imagine student teaching during this weird time? If I was in college during this pandemic I’d be so stressed out!
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2020, 08:09:39 PM »

Second day was pretty good!  All the kids that were flagged as behavior problems came today, so the dynamic was a little different.  Nothing bad, just a lot of blurting out, whereas the first group was timid and quiet.  We are doing blended learning, so I have half the class each day while the other half learns at home, and then they switch.  It's awesome because I only have 10-11 kids per day, which is a huge change from my usual classes of 26-27.  It'll be interesting to compare day to day with two different groups of kids.

I told my new student teacher that while this may not be a "normal" year, it will prepare her for anything and everything!  (Except teaching 27 kids at the same time, apparently LOL.)  If you can teach during a pandemic, you can teach through anything.

I also hope we can stay in-person and not go full remote.  It's crazy how differently every district is doing it in my area.  Some schools went to full remote before school even started as a precaution.  Others are pretending there's not a pandemic happening and started normally, but with masks.  The town I live in currently has 10 cases at the high school and like 100 people quarantined, but they're still proceeding with full, five-day, in-person learning as if that's not problematic. *facepalm*  I think my district (in a different town) has a good balance and has put a lot of measures in place to keep everyone as safe as possible.  We're able to to maintain social distance because of the low class sizes, masks are mandated for everyone, we're checking everyone's temps, and we have sanitizing stations everywhere.  We'll see how it goes.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2020, 08:17:28 PM by RokofAges75 »
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

Rose

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 8278
  • Uh oh! We lost Nick again...
    • Double Rainbow Fiction
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2020, 11:08:08 PM »

Please be safe! I say that literally as the hugest germaphobe now thanks to 2020. It's such a struggle wprking with the public when 20% think it's not serious. I literally refuse to help people who don't wear a mask.
Logged
Double Rainbow Fiction - So Bright and So Vivid...


"Don't annoy the writer. They may put you in a book and kill you." —Anonymous

“I don’t believe in being serious about anything. I think life is too serious to be taken seriously.” —Ray Bradbury

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2020, 05:51:46 AM »

Glad they both went well! Schools here in Buffalo are all starting online only since our numbers are once again starting to go up a little. The schools where I used to teach are all starting full week in person classes. Well one of the schools. The other one closed at the end of last school year. Seems I got out of there just in time.

I didn’t realize how stupid the majority of Pa is being about this virus. People are being shamed for going into grocery stores for wearing masks. They seem to all be under the impression that the governor is under some kind of demonic spell, trying to keep them home from the mall or something. Idiots!

I have mixed feelings about the whole partial opening thing. It only takes one day to infect someone. It will be nice for you to enjoy smaller class sizes and more One on one attention with each student. The downside is the constant repetition. I hated having to teach the same lessons over and over since there were multiple classes for each grade. When it came to my musical units and I had to pick shows to watch, I always had to make sure I picked ones I wouldn’t mind watching a thousand times lol

The catholic schools here are doing partial opening. Mon and Tuesday group one goes. Wednesday the school is closed and cleaned then Thursday and Friday the second group shows up.

It’s such a learning curve for everyone.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2020, 05:55:18 AM by mare »
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2020, 11:06:14 AM »

Please be safe! I say that literally as the hugest germaphobe now thanks to 2020. It's such a struggle wprking with the public when 20% think it's not serious. I literally refuse to help people who don't wear a mask.

I'm trying!  I wasn't sure how it was going to go with the kids wearing masks, especially when some of their parents are probably anti-maskers, but both groups did great with it!  They wore them correctly without complaint.  I'm so proud of them and grateful to their parents for helping prepare them.

You stay safe too!  I don't envy any of you retail workers, having to deal with adult idiots who are acting way more immature and volatile than my 9-year-old students.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2020, 11:13:48 AM by RokofAges75 »
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2020, 11:12:15 AM »

Glad they both went well! Schools here in Buffalo are all starting online only since our numbers are once again starting to go up a little. The schools where I used to teach are all starting full week in person classes. Well one of the schools. The other one closed at the end of last school year. Seems I got out of there just in time.

I didn’t realize how stupid the majority of Pa is being about this virus. People are being shamed for going into grocery stores for wearing masks. They seem to all be under the impression that the governor is under some kind of demonic spell, trying to keep them home from the mall or something. Idiots!

I have mixed feelings about the whole partial opening thing. It only takes one day to infect someone. It will be nice for you to enjoy smaller class sizes and more One on one attention with each student. The downside is the constant repetition. I hated having to teach the same lessons over and over since there were multiple classes for each grade. When it came to my musical units and I had to pick shows to watch, I always had to make sure I picked ones I wouldn’t mind watching a thousand times lol

The catholic schools here are doing partial opening. Mon and Tuesday group one goes. Wednesday the school is closed and cleaned then Thursday and Friday the second group shows up.

It’s such a learning curve for everyone.

Yeah, it's definitely different.  The only perk so far is the low class size; other than that, I look forward to the day when things can go back to normal.  Everyone is thinking we'll be forced to go full remote at some point, but hopefully not for a while.

It's not just PA being stupid.  It's everywhere in this country.  That's why we haven't been able to flatten the curve.  I just wish that everyone would understand things won't go back to normal until they suck it up and start following the rules, like it or not.  But that won't happen when such a large percentage of the population values their "freedom" over human life.
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

Carter-Orange

  • Chief of Disorder
  • ******
  • Posts: 4588
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2020, 02:28:57 PM »

Hi everyone
Logged

Rose

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 8278
  • Uh oh! We lost Nick again...
    • Double Rainbow Fiction
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2020, 04:09:48 AM »

I'm trying!  I wasn't sure how it was going to go with the kids wearing masks, especially when some of their parents are probably anti-maskers, but both groups did great with it!  They wore them correctly without complaint.  I'm so proud of them and grateful to their parents for helping prepare them.

You stay safe too!  I don't envy any of you retail workers, having to deal with adult idiots who are acting way more immature and volatile than my 9-year-old students.

Glad the kids are being good, I was wondering myself. It's been a challenge this year and honestly I've had to help so many of my cashiers deal with the extra stress. Many of them are still in their teens and early twenties themselves, they're kids. But Target's been pretty solid in this. I do have a paid 30 day leave of absence they granted for covid I haven't used yet and I might do it once flu season is in full swing. Just to keep my dad safe. And I could use the break honestly.
Logged
Double Rainbow Fiction - So Bright and So Vivid...


"Don't annoy the writer. They may put you in a book and kill you." —Anonymous

“I don’t believe in being serious about anything. I think life is too serious to be taken seriously.” —Ray Bradbury

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2020, 09:12:59 PM »

Cases have been climbing again here since July because people are stupid.  Of course now that school is back in session, there are more kids getting it.  Colleges have been hit especially hard because the kids are going out and partying without masks or social distancing.  A lot of schools that planned to start in-person switched to full remote learning at the last minute.  We are still doing blended learning, and so far so good, but I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop - either we'll get quarantined because of confirmed cases in our school, or the state will shut us down because our region is spiking.  So I'm enjoying the time I have with my students in person while it lasts.  It's different, but honestly, having 10-11 kids at a time is AWESOME!  We've complained about our large class sizes my entire teaching career, but I still never fully realized what a difference class size makes until I experienced what it's like to have less than half what I usually do.  There are no behavior problems, everyone gets more attention, and we can get things done so much faster when there are fewer kids in the room.  So that's the silver lining to this situation for me.  And the kids are still doing great with all the changes.  They are a lot more adaptable and mature than some adults I know!

Working retail is an entirely different story.  I don't blame any of you for being stressed out, Rose.  I would take the stress of working with children any day over the stress of dealing with adult Karens and Kens every day.  Hang in there!
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2020, 10:27:26 AM »

My old school released a video where each teacher went step by step to let kids know what exactly to expect when school starts on Monday. They are doing 5 days totally in person. I was surprised to see so many new faces. It’s almost an entirely new staff including principal. Guess they all decided not to take the risk. I hope it goes well and I hope you get to keep going in person. I think it’s so important for those kids. Small class sizes rule!
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2020, 02:47:58 PM »

We did videos too instead of an in-person Meet the Teacher Night like we usually do before the first day of school.  I think it was helpful.

Wow, so much turnover!  I'm not surprised though.  I'm just glad they were able to find enough new hires to replace everyone.  There is a teacher shortage, and it's just going to be worse now that teachers are being asked to risk their lives to work.

We actually didn't have anyone leave at my school.  Families had the option to choose full remote instead of blended learning, and so many chose that, they asked for two teachers per grade level to do full remote instruction.  So the ones that are most at-risk or were most worried about going back volunteered for those positions.  They still have to come to school and do their remote teaching from their classrooms, unless they have a doctor's note letting them teach from home, but at least they're not around students.
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

Carter-Orange

  • Chief of Disorder
  • ******
  • Posts: 4588
Re: A thread for everything
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2020, 03:34:10 AM »

Corona is on the rise again here and we go into lockdown again from 6pm today, but it's not a nationwide lockdown, just certain problem areas, mine being one of them :(  The rise seems to be since pubs re-opened indoors and schools going back.  Some people are just plain stupid and don't follow the social distancing rules, and that's why we're are back where we were earlier this year.

The lockdown isn't as strict as last time as shops and restaurants are staying open (for now) and we are allowed to go and and about within the county, but not allowed out of the county for anything.

It's annoying as I was really looking forward to a weekend away next weekend, but that's the way it goes, this year isn't the year for planning to do even the smallest of things.  Let's hope this vaccine is ready soon.

Schools are all back full time here, but not universities, I think they will be mostly online.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2