"My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
By this point most people have heard of “The Great Resignation.” It is a phenomenon happening in our country where people are leaving jobs in mass. This is not occurring because people don’t want to work (despite what certain groups want you to believe). It is occurring because people want to find work that does more than pay the bills; it is occurring because people want to feel valued and purpose filled. On June 30, I joined “The Great Resignation”.
People who know me know that I’m a hard worker to the point that I’ve been known to work so much it’s bad for my health. With only a few gaps, I’ve spent the last 21 years of my life working. Of those years, 18 were with my last employer in a couple different positions. A lot of great things have occurred in my life involving work. So what changed and led to me joining “The Great Resignation”? In short, I changed.
For me becoming a mom and the Covid pandemic reshaped my priorities. My top priorities have become faith, family, and living by my beliefs along with living a purpose filled life based on said priorities. So when provided the opportunity to become a work from home mom, I couldn’t pass up the chance. I’m still transitioning to work from home life, but I can already say that I’m doing the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.
From my own experience, I encourage you to re-evaluate your priorities. If you’re not living by them, then consider if it is time to find something new. Joining “The Great Resignation” could bring you more joy than you ever knew possible!
As another Spring Break comes to a close, there are a multitude of thoughts swirling through my head. Like so many times when this happens, I feel like the best thing to do is attempt to sort them out in writing. Why do it in a blog? Because I’m sure if I’m thinking these things, there is someone else out there who can relate.
Thought 1 – On any given day, you can be both the “picture perfect” mama and “a chicken with her hair on fire” mama. Yesterday, I was the mama who takes the family to the Farmer’s Market in order to shop local and organic. That’s helping other families financially while helping the health of my family! We also did our grocery pickups because we meal plan like champs (even though often the plan gets tweaked midweek when a frozen pizza us substituted into the lineup). Then, we napped for three hours, woke up just in time for bath time, and the realization that we never had dinner. That’s when you go to Dominos in your pajamas with a messy bun and allow your toddler to eat greasy pizza way too late at night while staying up way past their bedtime! This was a great contrast to the “picture perfect” me who had taken the toddler to the library twice earlier in the week, taught him about gardening and growing our own vegetables, and the importance of family outings on nature trails and to the zoo! Spoiler alert, with all that teaching of good things, I may have relied on McDonalds and Burger King a little too much this week! Why both? Because one has $1 drinks and good fries, and the other has Whoppers.
Thought 2 – Flexibility is a way of life. I had these great ambitions of a “self spa” day where I was going to color my hair, do a charcoal mask, and paint my nails. All of these are great thoughts, but when you take a three hour nap while snuggling a toddler who then goes to bed two hours late, the thoughts stay thoughts. For a minute, I was kind of upset about it, then I realized that at least I got a shower and to pluck my eyebrows (they were pretty unsightly…not to mention a dead giveaway that I color my hair when they are thicker). Sometimes it’s the little things that make you smile!
Thought 3 – Does it ever become easier to go back rib work after breaks? Don’t get me wrong. I like my job, but I LOVE being a wife and mom. After a whole week of just getting to be a wife and mom, it is really hard to go back to both. As much as you try, it is really hard to be fully there for both. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has thoughts such as “Did I take the chicken out for dinner?” and “Did I switch the baby’s laundry out?” while at work. Likewise, at home during wife/mom time sometimes I can’t help but think about things that happened at work that day especially if something didn’t get finished that I wanted to complete. Once I get back into the swing of both, it’s always fine. There’s just always that dread the day before returning since it requires sacrificing time with those you love most.
Thought 4 – Why are people so quick to change their tunes based on popular opinions even when they are founded in misconceptions? Just a year ago, the general public was celebrating teachers for their flexibility and quick ability to adapt to non-traditional methods of providing instruction. People were actually talking about how teachers deserved higher pay! Now, some of the same public acts like teachers are horrible, selfish human beings because they put their own families needs first and/or have been anxiety ridden by all the pandemic protocols. FYI…this school year has required more work than any other year in order to meet the needs of all students.
My random thoughts might not make a lot of sense; however, they are a little more sorted out! Just like I knew they would be. 😊 I hope that whatever random thoughts you’re having tonight, you can sort them out too.
As I was trying to gather my thoughts this evening, I saw this post that someone had shared on Facebook from Education to the Core. What I was struggling to put into words, this picture sums up perfectly. By the end of each day, this is currently how I feel. Why? Because I care.
On the surface caring seems like a great thing. It’s good to care about others and to follow the golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do to you. It can also be absolutely exhausting. On a typical day, these are things (some overlap and many occur multiple times) that I care about at some point during the day:
Am I being a good mom to LilKsby even though I’m so tired when I get home that there are days I just want to sit and stare at the wall?
Am I being a good wife Mr Kisby by helping around the house and with LilKsby?
Am I going to feel worse about going to bed early and getting physical rest than I would if I did everything I need to get done?
Am I disappointing others when I’m not good company to be around because I’m so exhausted (and some days defeated feeling) after work?
Am I disappointing others when I say “no” to things?
Am I protecting my family from the virus the best I can while maintaining some “peace of mind”?
Am I not looking at the costs of short term “peace of mind” in the long term picture?
Am I selfish for wanting time to “do nothing” and attempt to just relax and have fun?
Am I the only one wearing a mask in public because I care about the health of those around me?
Am I the only one that hasn’t resumed all “normal” activities because there’s still a pandemic going on in the world?
Am I doing any good by washing my clothes and showering as soon as I get home?
Am I following the most correct, most up to date guidance from trusted officials?
Am I the only one that five weeks into school still feels like I don’t know what’s really going on around me on pretty much a daily basis?
Am I protecting my students from Covid?
Am I cleaning their work areas thoroughly enough?
Am I forgetting to clean things that should be obvious high touch points?
Am I sanitizing my own hands enough to prevent spread?
Am I sanitizing my hands so much that it scares my students?
Am I instructing my students in a way that is effective while protecting them from illness?
Am I sanitizing the Chromebook that I take from class to class enough?
Am I doing a good enough job of hiding my emotions every time a student asks a “what if” scenario that I don’t know how to answer?
Am I being a good model in regards to mask practices?
Am I following every “normal” school policy while also implementing all the pandemic policies?
Are my students getting their basic needs met (adequate food, shelter, etc) on their “at home” days?
Am I the only one who wants to shut off thoughts about the day and enjoy home once there that can’t do it?
I fully realize that sometimes right now it may seem like I don’t care. The truth is the exact opposite. I care so much that it is absolutely exhausting emotionally and mentally (sometimes physically) on a daily basis. I think that’s why I like being home so much and find it fun to engage in virtual activity. It allows me to attempt to forget my cares, which could be interchanged with my worries, for just a fraction of time within the safety of my own home.
So until the pandemic quells, I’m going to do my best to not be like Kermit in the meme as I know no one will ever go for work a day, off a day, work a day, off a day schedule. I’m going to attempt to do my best for others while not neglecting myself, and I’m going to try to be the best me I can be. Wish me luck!
During a typical summer by the time July 22 rolls around, most teachers are starting to get back in the school groove. With school usually starting in about a week and a half, most teachers have already started Professional Development sessions, working on their classrooms, thinking about plans for the first week, and considering squeezing in one more day trip to the zoo or weekend getaway. In a normal year, teachers are talking with their colleagues about expectations for the year and planning for Open House.
This isn’t a normal school year; this is a pandemic year.
Instead of getting ready for a start of school the first week of August, many districts have pushed their start dates to the end of August to implement pandemic procedures. Professional Developments have been moved to online, and though the topic for the session said one thing all conversations turn to Covid-19. Working on classrooms is difficult without knowing for sure what setup will be required to look like. Even Open Houses are going virtual for the year! What’s normally an exciting time has become riddled with anxiety and what seems like a million questions about reopening that no one can know the answers to with 100% certainty because no one can predict next week’s Coronavirus numbers.
If you talk to a teacher about the upcoming school year, then you will get a variety of answers. Some are afraid to go back in-person while some can’t wait to be physically back in the classroom. Some are anxious about the possibility of bringing the virus to their own homes or spreading to their own parents with co-morbidities (a term that has become way to “normal” since the pandemic). They may miss in-person instruction, but they also want to stay home to protect their families. There are those who don’t really have an option because their family relies on their income or health insurance who will do as told because when it comes down to it they really have no choice.
Regardless of their position on the return to school, teachers are all thinking some of the same things. What will our group discussions be like without being able to see faces through masks? How will we implement cooperative learning strategies and group work with minimal risk of spreading the virus? What can we expect our schedule to look like so that we can begin to plan for those who have trouble with schedule changes? How can we teach everything we are supposed to while implementing all the pandemic procedures? Of course there is also the biggest question of all: will any of us die from the virus?
With so many unknowns you can see why teachers are having a rough time right now. Luckily, we aren’t alone and have support systems with other teachers. For me, the support has come from two places. One is the Blessing Teacher 2 Teacher group on Facebook. It was started by Kristen Hall and Heidi Hamlyn as a way for teachers to send blessings to one another as we all know that teachers tend to buy for others before themselves. Now, with over 10,000 members, it has become a group where you can openly discuss how you’re feeling about the pandemic, things you need prayers/positive thoughts about, how many jobs you have besides teaching, and much more. It feels like a group of friends supporting one another! My second support system has been my own colleagues. Even though some of us haven’t seen each other since March, all the texts, private messages, video chats, and social media posts show that we have each others backs! These support systems that allow us teachers to talk with one another are current keys to sanity.
For all the non teachers reading this, please be patient with the teachers and other school personnel in your life. They don’t mean to be short with you or antisocial. They don’t mean to be overly emotional or overly preoccupied. They don’t mean to be quickly confrontational. They are trying their best to rest and relax, but with so many unknowns it is very difficult to be positive even for the most upbeat people. Be patient with us. Most of us are okay, but we need you to be patient and not critical.
To everyone, stay safe, stay healthy, and do your best to stay positive!
Original Artwork – “The Eye of the Hurricane” by The Great Kaysby and LilKsby
“In the eye of a hurricane/there is quiet/for just a moment” is the lyric that kept running through my head over and over while I worked on the pictured painting with LilKsby. The lyric is from “Hurricane”, a musical number from Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. During the last few weeks life has kind of felt like a hurricane with so much going on with the pandemic. Businesses and places have reopened, but then they’ve had to close back down. Case numbers had seemingly plateaued, but now there are more cases than ever in certain areas. Masks have gone from being recommended to having to be mandated. On any given day one person can experience so many thoughts and feelings that they feel as though they are constantly living in an emotional hurricane.
Then, there are days where you finally feel like you can breathe; days where you feel like you can finally relax. These are the days when you feel safe from all the distress of the world; these are the days when you just enjoy the life you’ve been blessed with having. These days are the eye of the hurricane for you. Currently, these are the best days! They are days of no anxiety, no doubt, and just experiencing relaxation, contentment, and joy. I think we could all agree that we need more of these days!
So what’s in my eye of the hurricane? Snuggles with LilKsby, cooking for him and Mr Kisby, baking, painting, reading, avoiding social media (that really gets the old anxiety going), exercising, writing, and watching fun videos (lately a lot of Nicholas Brendon’s lives), communicating with family/friends, and focusing on today. My eye of the hurricane is a comfort to me, and with all the uncertainties these days, it’s a good place to spend some time. In my eye of the hurricane, there is love and joy! Even though I know this storm must be weathered, it is good to just be in the moment of quiet sometimes.
Today, I had to go to work. I don’t say that as a complaint given that I have been fortunate enough to be able to teach from home since March 17. I say it as a fact. Going in the school today was very surreal. Due to Covid-19 there are new protocols that must be followed: temperature checks when entering, masking wearing, staying six feet from co-workers, limiting the number of people in the school, etc.
The day began with parking in the front of the building in an area that on a normal day would be filled with buses dropping students off for school. Today on a “normal” day, the students would have been jumping over puddles (okay, even in high school some would have been jumping in them). There would’ve been the buzz of chatter about what everyone did over the weekend and groans about having to get up early and come to school. Instead, there were teachers running through the pouring rain to get to the line at the front door. Then, there was a line of teachers spaced six feet from the next, wearing masks, and waiting to get their temperature checked to determine if they could enter the building or had to go home. As an adult, I understand the necessity of the new protocol. From the perspective of a student, I could see how it would be terrifying.
From a young age, we are taught that school should be somewhere we feel safe; school should be somewhere that we feel like someone cares about us. For me, it is hard to fathom how kids could feel either of those when they can’t come close to a teacher to tell them something in confidence, or a mask has to be worn hiding facial expressions. I also cannot imagine how kids can foster an environment of developing social skills and friendships when they have to remain six feet from one another. Imagine, having lunch and having to sit six feet from your friends. There won’t be any swapping your chocolate milk with someone for their chocolate chip cookie!
Beyond lunch, I think about how many kids like to share with one another. They share phones, games, iPads, clothes, etc. Most of them naturally have something that they want to share with someone else. Now we have to tell them, “No, Johnny, don’t share with Susie. Yes, it’s polite, but there is a pandemic.” On the plus side, this could help with PDA problems.
I feel like today was just a taste of the future for teachers. I believe that it was a tiny insight into what the coming school year could – emphasis on could – be like for us and our students. Do you want the truth? On a lot of levels, it is heartbreaking. Most of us who went into teaching entered the profession because we care about people namely kids. We want to be there for them as a mentor and educator. We’ve done our best this spring through NTI, and we’ve put on brave faces as we’ve done Google Meets and videos for our kids. However, on the inside our hearts were breaking wondering about our students. Are they okay at home? Are they eating? Are they healthy? Do they have all the necessities? Seeing them in our classrooms each day was sometimes the only way these questions could be answered. Returning to school will alleviate some of that heartache, but I feel like it is going to open us up to a whole new set of emotions if things aren’t “normal”.
I applaud all of those who are having to make difficult decisions right now that impact our students. My hat is off to principals, superintendents, school boards, state department of education workers, and anyone else in decision making capacities. You are making decisions that no one could’ve ever told you that you would be making. When we were all getting our various degrees there was no class called “Dealing with a Pandemic 101”. And though the future may taste bittersweet, I know that you all are doing what is best for our students as a whole. Thank you for that.
To all of our students, don’t be scared about the future. Even if we are behind masks, we’re still here for you.
In the last 34 days, I’ve left the house 5 times maybe 6 to do activities other than walk around the neighborhood. I had to go to work one day, picked up an online grocery order once, went for a drive and lunch pick up, and picked up dinner twice. I’ve cried more than I’ve ever cried especially out of being deeply moved by the kindness and generosity of others. But most importantly, I’ve spent tons of time with Mr Kisby and LilKsby that I wouldn’t have otherwise! ❤️ This is my favorite part of social distancing/corona-quarantine, and I can honestly say that at 34 days and counting boredom is nowhere in sight!
So far I have or we have:
Watched a lot of TV (often just as background noise) including: Full House, Fuller House, Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World, Nailed It, Hart of Dixie, Onward, and Inside Out.
Baked cookies
Learned to make bread from a starter
Cooked more than ever (seriously, we had an eating out problem)
Cleaned
Napped
Learned how to work from home
Painted my nails
Given a haircut
Played board games
Taken Udemy classes for fun
Started to learn guitar from YouTube
Worshipped virtually
Visited with family virtually
Played video games
Created art projects
Played with toys
Read books
I’m sure we’ve done more, but that’s all I can think of at the moment! The good news is there is still a lot we can do without getting bored! The best news is that we’ve gotten time together we wouldn’t have had otherwise!!! FYI…if it wasn’t for the pandemic, then I may not have seen LilKsby’s first steps or been there when he started to say, “Dada”. Those have been the best moments!
I hope that you’re finding things to do during this time at home and enjoying it. I’d love to know your favorite things!
“We will get through this. We will get through this together.” – Gov Andy Beshear, everyday at 5 pm
March 1, 2020
March 1 – 28 days ago – we were driving home from attending a wedding. It was a great trip, so great that we talked about going back for Spring Break at the end of the month. If you would’ve asked me on that car ride home what we’d be doing in four weeks, then never in my wildest dreams would I have thought the answer would be social distancing and finding a new normal amid a pandemic.
Yet here we are…
We find ourselves in a new situation where every tickle in your throat has you wondering if shortness of breath is soon to follow, or if the warm feeling is because it’s hot out, or you have a fever. We find ourselves hearing about toilet paper hoarding and sections of grocery stores being desolate. When we have to be out, we’re supposed to be no closer than 6 feet from anyone else. If we don’t have to be out, then we need to be home. #healthyathome is trending, which is great because it means people are following directions, and a new normal is developing all over the globe.
My new normal truly started on March 17, the day we began teaching school online from home. The last two weeks of NTI days have been the hardest two weeks in my teaching career work wise. I’ve had to learn a whole new bag of tricks while trying my best to be just as effective virtually as I am in the classroom! I’m very thankful that I have an awesome PLC for support.
Teaching from home aside, regular home life has been different too. There’s been very little face to face contact with the outside world. When there has been, it’s been either passing folks while going for a walk or the people working hard to make necessity pick up happen. We’ve become accustomed to seeing family virtually each day instead of in person. We’re cooking meals more than ever, and I’ve not watched this much television since having the flu twice in 2018! (Sidebar: binge watching Boy Meets World was AMAZING!)
But do you know what else has happened?
We’ve come to love our governor!
LilKsby clapped for the first time!
I’ve gotten more sweet baby snuggles than I ever dreamed possible!
I’ve realized how much fun can be had without leaving the house!
We’ve just sat and talked!
I’ve gotten the recommended amount of sleep frequently!
It hasn’t all been bad! We’re adapting to this new normal, and we’ll continue to do so. We will continue to try and be the best people we can in this odd situation. Will there be tough days? Yup! Will there be moments of anxiety? Yup! We’re still human after all! But those are just moments, and we’re working to win the long game!
“…it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person…” F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Since the beginning of self-isolation and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I’ve been wanting to write; however, I’ve not been sure of what to write. Then, Friday it was nice out, and we went for a family walk. Before we came back in the house, I checked the rear of the house for storm damage from the previous night. That’s when I passed my flowerbed and saw the tiny bloom on my phlox. In that moment, I knew what to write about: hope.
As we are in the midst of a global pandemic, the media is full of gloom and doom. Yet if you look for it, there are signs of hope in the media. Here are some that I think need to be shared:
Two of the elderly at the nursing home in Washington where so many have died fully recovered.
Two of the people diagnosed in Kentucky have fully recovered (perhaps more by now)
People are doing the kindest things for the elderly in assisted living and nursing homes like putting up bird feeders outside their windows
People are finding alternate ways to visit while maintaining social distance
Andy Beshear is leading our state by showing how much he cares for the people
China (as of yesterday) has had no new mainland cases for 3 days
Last week, our local school district delivered 26,911 meals to school age children and elderly/at risk communities members
Government is coming together to help those facing unemployment, loss of health care, etc.
Groups of people are coming together to raise funds and deliver meals to those in need.
All of these example have helped me to have hope during this pandemic. I not only have hope for health, I also have hope that we will come out of this stronger. I have hope that we will come out of this as better people who are generally more caring. I have hope that our planet will come out in better shape because people are using less resources. I have hope that everyone else can see the silver lining in this cloud!
I’d love to know how you are seeing hope! Share in the comments!
“…it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person…” F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Since the beginning of self-isolation and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I’ve been wanting to write; however, I’ve not been sure of what to write. Then, Friday it was nice out, and we went for a family walk. Before we came back in the house, I checked the rear of the house for storm damage from the previous night. That’s when I passed my flowerbed and saw the tiny bloom on my phlox. In that moment, I knew what to write about: hope.
As we are in the midst of a global pandemic, the media is full of gloom and doom. Yet if you look for it, there are signs of hope in the media. Here are some that I think need to be shared:
Two of the elderly at the nursing home in Washington where so many have died fully recovered.
Two of the people diagnosed in Kentucky have fully recovered (perhaps more by now)
People are doing the kindest things for the elderly in assisted living and nursing homes like putting up bird feeders outside their windows
People are finding alternate ways to visit while maintaining social distance
Andy Beshear is leading our state by showing how much he cares for the people
China (as of yesterday) has had no new mainland cases for 3 days
Last week, our local school district delivered 26,911 meals to school age children and elderly/at risk communities members
Government is coming together to help those facing unemployment, loss of health care, etc.
Groups of people are coming together to raise funds and deliver meals to those in need.
All of these example have helped me to have hope during this pandemic. I not only have hope for health, I also have hope that we will come out of this stronger. I have hope that we will come out of this as better people who are generally more caring. I have hope that our planet will come out in better shape because people are using less resources. I have hope that everyone else can see the silver lining in this cloud!
I’d love to know how you are seeing hope! Share in the comments!
The Great Kaysby 