Quarantine: Thurs. 3/26
I feel like we're kind of burning out on these distance-learning assignments, and we have more and more weeks to go. We got a letter from the district tonight outlining all the new initiatives and platforms and strategies that I guess? maybe? will be used going forward, and TBH it kind of gave me a panic attack. I didn't recognize any of the "platforms" listed (aside from Google, obvs), and the scheduling suggestions seem, to me, a little unrealistic. Don't get me wrong: we like routine around here. But a routine that *we* create and work with. I don't think I can just impose the district's schedule onto our home life. And I definitely don't think we can sustain 4+ hours of schoolwork plus homework, the recommended instructional time for fourth graders. What the heck. (It should be noted that it's the fourth-grade requirements that are getting to me. Greta's assigned work is manageable and home-appropriate, IMHO.)
There are so very very very many platforms. After I read the letter all I could think was CAN'T. And WON'T.
The kids spent most of the afternoon today in the basement (ignoring the sunny outdoors) making furniture out of cardboard, styrofoam, and fabric scraps for their LOL dolls. Hot glue guns strands and styrofoam refuse was everywhere. It was glorious. No platforms were required. My presence was not required, trying to navigate platforms to locate "digital notebooks" and YouTube videos of instructions and Khan Academy videos and daily assignments and etc etc. They just--played and created.
When the kids wrote in their journals tonight, they wrote about what they made. (I don't read their journals. They told me this was what they were going to write about.) And they're so excited to get back to it tomorrow. It'll be a Quarantine Memory. Is it too late to actually withdraw them from school and officially homeschool, my way? Because this hybrid of mandated schoolwork and our own free-spirited homeschoolingness is becoming more ill-fitting by the day. Lucia spent almost three hours on math and Khan Academy videos this morning and finally we just had to back away. And that was before she had to work on her persuasive essay. And then there was a reminder about the PE log. A PE log?!
Sorry for the tantrum. I know I'm lucky enough to have the flexibility and resources to rant about this. And there are enough teachers in my family for me to be 100% aware of what a dystopian nightmare this is for them too. But I have a headache and I didn't really like the book I just finished reading (thrillers always, always let me down) and I'm going to go now to pour a(nother) glass of wine.
There are so very very very many platforms. After I read the letter all I could think was CAN'T. And WON'T.
The kids spent most of the afternoon today in the basement (ignoring the sunny outdoors) making furniture out of cardboard, styrofoam, and fabric scraps for their LOL dolls. Hot glue guns strands and styrofoam refuse was everywhere. It was glorious. No platforms were required. My presence was not required, trying to navigate platforms to locate "digital notebooks" and YouTube videos of instructions and Khan Academy videos and daily assignments and etc etc. They just--played and created.
When the kids wrote in their journals tonight, they wrote about what they made. (I don't read their journals. They told me this was what they were going to write about.) And they're so excited to get back to it tomorrow. It'll be a Quarantine Memory. Is it too late to actually withdraw them from school and officially homeschool, my way? Because this hybrid of mandated schoolwork and our own free-spirited homeschoolingness is becoming more ill-fitting by the day. Lucia spent almost three hours on math and Khan Academy videos this morning and finally we just had to back away. And that was before she had to work on her persuasive essay. And then there was a reminder about the PE log. A PE log?!
Sorry for the tantrum. I know I'm lucky enough to have the flexibility and resources to rant about this. And there are enough teachers in my family for me to be 100% aware of what a dystopian nightmare this is for them too. But I have a headache and I didn't really like the book I just finished reading (thrillers always, always let me down) and I'm going to go now to pour a(nother) glass of wine.
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