Day 18: You’re Not Calm

I had a lot of my students stay full remote when parents were given a choice between remote or hybrid. I had a couple of students that I barely saw when we were remote, and yet their families chose to keep them remote. Learning has not been happening for one particular student because parents are working and he is home alone. No one to tell him to wake up and get to class. No one to tell him to do his work. No one to tall him to put away the video games. No one to tell him to put away the cell phone. With the relentless work of our secretary, mom finally agreed that it would be best for her son to come to school for the two days of the hybrid plan.

So two weeks ago Monday he came into my classroom, and I’m sure he hated his mom at that moment for her decision.

Please take off your hood. We have a lot of work to do to catch you up.

Then the work continued throughout the day and again on Thursday. Last Monday, he wasn’t “feeling well”, so he logged on to his previous remote learning teacher. He was disappointed to learn that’s not the way this will go. If he is absent, he has to follow my work schedule and work on the assignments I have given.

Today, he came back. When the other students went to the bathroom I checked in with him.

How is it going? Is the work tough?

Um, yeah. You are tougher than the work.

I know your other teacher was probably much nicer.

She was calmer. You’re not calm. I’m not that calm either.

No, I’m not calm. You are not wrong about that.

No, but you get things done.

Today our secretary said that mom called and said remote learning would be best. I’m hoping mom will reconsider.