Normal is Normal

By a working definition, NORMAL is described as “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern: characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine. 

Just 20 years ago, nobody much knew anything about this thing called the Internet.  I believe it was around August of 1991, that the world-wide-web first appeared.  At that time, “www”, was nothing but a repetition of letters that one typed by mistake.

Not so long ago, but yet it seems like an eternity…we reached over to press the button off on the alarm clock by our bed, got up, read the newspaper, made our own coffee at home, on occasion picked up the receiver on a rotary or push button dial telephone to check on a friend or relative, and then went to work to address stacks of paper that needed to be filled out in triplicate using a mimeograph machine that had that weird ink smell.  Students went to school, carried loads of books strapped together with a belt and wrote on paper.  That was “normal.” We made the copies, dropped them in a paper file and put them in a metal file cabinet. That was then.

This is now.  We wake up to the alarm on our cell phones, check the social media platforms, check the news and the stock reports, send a text or a DM to a friend or relative, dress and head to work or school, stopping to buy a coffee on the way…that we have already paid for in the App on our phone, get to the office or school, open our laptops or pads and make a copy, scan or edit a document, then store it in the cloud for future use, and send a copy by email to those that need access. That is our normal, now.

Remote or virtual capabilities for meetings or classes for work or school, are now a part of our everyday life.  Having to work from home, or do school from home, may not be what you want to have to do, knowing that in-person learning is essential to us as humans, and the more effective way to teach, learn and provide feedback as a part of the process, but we do what we have been doing since time began: We monitor and adjust. 

We want to be back together in the workplace, in school and in our everyday social lives. In the meantime, through this pandemic, for every situation, we learn how to expand the pros and overcome the cons. We thrive. We survive in what is now normal.

Stay positive.  Stay safe.

Keith Brown

Take Care of Students AND yourself!

The past year of school has certainly been like nothing we have seen in our lifetimes.  The pandemic has shut down businesses, the Court System, family gathering and schools.  The tremendous population of administrators, teachers and students in our schools, although not always in the brick and mortar buildings, must to carry on.

The isolation from friends, staying at alternative places so that parents can work as much as possible, and working from home…make for a lonely day for some.  Both adults and students are social creatures and crave interaction.

The challenge is to maintain a challenging and engaging learning platform so as not to cross the threshold of boredom, apathy, indifference, and depression.

There are reports that occurrences of student depression and even suicide are on the rise.  It is safe to say that it is not always easy to determine the mental state of an individual on the other end of a video conference meeting…that’s why it is so very important to find ways to “engage” students in conversation in class meeting time.  Some things one might try is to use tools that engage student feedback, like Kahoot, Quizizz, Nearpod, Google Classroom questions, Screencastify and Flip Grid.  Be enthusiastic while on screen.  Ask questions and call on students to unmute and respond…validate their answers so that they are comfortable participating.  If students seem overly withdrawn or start missing classes, call the parent, confer with Guidance and Mental Health Counselors in your building, and be a part of the team that does something about a problem. 

The next big part is for the staff members:  don’t forget to take care of yourself.  The previously mentioned issues can just as easily affect you.  Interact safely with colleagues if in the building.  Call and talk to folks.  Check on family members.  Check on your friends and elderly neighbors. 

Ask for assistance in technical or technology issues, do Google Meets, Zooms or Microsoft Team meetings with friends.

Don’t let social media consume your free time.  Don’t get drug down by every bad story on the news, whether it be political, some disaster, or some tragic story.  Look for ways to turn negatives to positives.  Look for ways to lift one another up and in turn it will energize you.  Wake up every days and see it as an opportunity to make a difference for somebody else…and it will return to you tenfold.