Getting to the first day of school on Monday sure felt like standing at the start line of a marathon.
After months of anticipation and preparation along with a myriad of emotions from several delayed starts of the new school year due to COVID-19, most students, including my seven-year old son, finally returned to school — online.
The first day of school meant meeting and engaging with classmates and their teacher from a home computer, iPad, or school loaned Chromebook. Not exactly the typical “back to school” norm but despite all that has occurred over the last few months, it was a huge step forward.
Much like training for a marathon, there has been a wealth of information and advice on how best to reach the start line, or the first day of school. From how many weekly miles to run, to ways to stay motivated and avoid getting injured, similarly, teachers, parents and students had to train and prepare themselves on how to transition into the world of digital learning.
While online webinars and how-to learning modules helped bring those inexperienced with the “techy” aspects of the digital age up to speed, absorbing new information and a new way of learning, especially for younger students, will take time.
Proper training leading up to a marathon typically requires months of dedication and patience to slowly build up mileage for the muscle endurance and strength needed to finish the 26.2-mile distance. Imagine an inexperienced runner rushing this aspect of marathon training all into a week and expecting a rewarding outcome or result. Trust me, it won’t happen.
Transitioning to distance learning has not been a seamless process for anyone. It’s easy to feel confused, underprepared, overwhelmed, burned out, or ready to throw in the towel after meltdown number 92 — believe me, my family has experienced it all. It can also be frustrating trying to keep up with the different learning apps, different platforms and passwords, and of course, there will be some links that just don’t work.
Just know you are not alone. This is a new experience for everyone and more than ever teachers, students and parents will need to stay positive, patient, and work together to get to the finish line. A wise friend recently said the best way forward is to “let go of what you can’t control” and to “maintain an attitude of gratitude.”
We can’t foresee what will happen with COVID-19 or what its lingering effects on daily life might be. However, we can certainly extend plenty of compassion to all of the teachers, parents, and students among us making the best of the situation. We will reach the finish line, and we will do it together!