When the Ministry of Education dictated that all school boards needed to continue to provide virtual learning options in the 2021-2022 school year, they did not say what the model of delivery had to be. My school board, the York Region District School Board decided that they would adopt the hybrid model. This means that educators are teaching children face to face and online simultaneously.
We had three professional learning days the week before school started with a one hour training session for hybrid learning. This one hour session was self directed. We were to explore the share point. The share point being a series of posted documents on the board's website outlining suggestions for programs and apps to use to facilitate different learning activities online.
To say that I was feeling anxious before the start of school would be a gross understatement. Many tears have been shed! But then school started and I got to be in the classroom with my students and I forgot to be scared and sad and I remembered why I'm a teacher and how much I love it.This year is going to be so, so very much work and it's going to be hard and I'm sure I'll feel defeated at times. I will do the best I can and even though it won't always be enough, it will be okay. Children are forgiving and generous and it will be okay.
Many times in life we walk out into the dark and we are stretched in ways we didn't know we could be stretched. This is going to be one of those times. I'm grateful for my faith, for my family and for my amazing colleagues. We'll help each other through.
