Now I done felt a lot of pain
I done see a lot of things
From struggling and broken hearts to fancy cars
And even though my money change
I tried my best to stay the same
But you know with mo money, mo problems came
I have felt connected to music where the lyrics represent the artist's testimony. In a time where there is so much going on in the world, the quality of voices that we consume - from politics to music - can be at times questionable. Authenticity is rooted in the truth that one is grounded in and in music, I am attracted to the authenticity in the lyrical content of a song. Don't get me wrong, I have my fare share of mindless and at times lyric-less songs on Spotify - which I enjoy. But as I 'age' I find that my taste and preferences in what I listen too matures. Currently sitting at home, in a three day lockdown - the first thought I had once the lockdown was announced was 'here we go again'. The word 'again' is defined by 'returning to a previous position or condition'. For many people going through the motions of another lockdown can conjure up anxiety and panic. I was tempted to go to the supermarket once the announcement was released, yes, I panicked. This the reality of the times that we live in. We try our best to be 'calm' and 'kind' but there is a sense of desperation when restrictions on how we live are put into the picture.
How does this connect to teaching and learning? Well I have been sitting on this verse for a bit, trying to think of how the notion of 'fancy cars' and 'mo money' aligns with that of a teacher or student. This is a bit of a stretch as I wouldn't necessarily associate 'money' with 'education' (HA!) However I have found a connection, in that all in education have been through the experience of lockdown before. It has been painful in that we are unable to have the physical interaction with our students. We have been there and we have done that, knowing that our practice and our influence can be transferred online. If we 'try to stay the same' - teaching to the timetable whilst in lockdown - the response from our learners can decrease. Stretch I know, but it gets better.
If I had to do it all again
I wouldn't take away the rain
Cuz I know it made me who I am
If I had to do it all again
I've learnt so much from my mistakes
That's how I know He is watching me
One of the best things about teaching is the practice of reflect and review. Something that I did not too much as a beginning teacher (many moons ago) as I was trying to keep my head above water. I understand the importance of reviewing everything, it can be draining as I can focus on the grey areas and how I can fix them, often neglecting the achievements that I should appreciate. Going into lockdown again has been a shock but also the novelty of online learning - the newness and unknown - has somewhat softened. I know what does not work for myself and my learners and I have learnt from this. For me, as I reflect and review on my teaching career especially in a global pandemic, I have learnt that mistakes are necessary. Nothing is ever going to be perfect and there will always be issues with learning, in person and online, but it is these parts of the journey where we can learn so much, I know I have. I am more prepared with my online learning platform and I know what I want for my learners. Whether my learners engage is another thing in itself but it is OK. The well-being of myself, my colleagues and students is first and foremost.
It might make you happy it might make you sad
Sometimes yeah but I know
There is a reason for everything
(But I know)
That is why I keep believing
Whatever is meant to be it's going to be
Once we find our feet in a challenging situation such as this, once we are comfortable, feel supported and have an idea on what we need to do, our well-being is nurtured. In the last 3 years I have learnt that at any moment your life can take a sudden left. In this I have found that there some things that I cannot control. What I do have control of is how I approach it, how I see it and how I choose to experience it. Being in lockdown can impose all types of stress on anyone mentally, physically and emotionally. But we do have a choice on how we want to experience. For some this choice will come easy as we are able to adapt and adjust. For others, it can be challenging. I have learnt a lot about myself while working from home. I have learnt what is most important for me in my job as a teacher, as a dean and as a colleague. I understand what I CAN do. I also understand I can impact my learners online just as much as I can if I was in person. I appreciate the response to the lockdown that my principal and the senior leadership team have encouraged for our school. That we are patient with the process and that we find a good balance between work and home life. I find that this response allows time for everyone, teacher and student, to breath and to find our feet.
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