A year. It’s been a year since Covid-19 really hit the world, can you believe it?
I’ve got my drink, though it may get cold, as I’m back in school, but hey, you get comfortable and I’ll tell you about my week.
If we were having chai I’d tell you that this week, in school haas been truly surreal. firstly, it was amazing to have all our children back in school. I only had one child who wasn’t in, as they were sheilding. To see their little faces light up was so precious. The love and affection we received, made me emotional. It’s been a week of settling back in and the beginnings of assessment, to see how they have fared, emotionally as well as academically over this last bout of Remote Learning. We had very few tears, thaankfully. Mainly beaming smiles, and lots of funny stories.
If we were having chai I’d have to mention, thought, that there have been detrimental effects over the lockdown for a few. I have several children who are undergoing observations and investigations for Special Educational Needs, and, for some, this lockdown has not been great. Lack of routine, and familiarity with how we learn at school, coupled with parents trying their hardest, but not knowing how to teach certain aspects (which they shouldn’t be expected to, as they aren’t teachers) has left some huge holes. But that is our job, now, to give these kids what they need.
If we were having chai I’d have to admit to breaking down a little, though, on Thursday. One child is really suffering, hugely, and we are desperately fighting for a diagnosis, and some support for him, as are the parents, who recognise their child is struggling. This child is unable to recognise or control emotions, and can be deliriously happy, one moment and then ready to blow, with anger, the next. We’ve had to send him home four days out of five, as I don’t have a spare staff member to be with him all the time, and when he does struggle, it needs more than one adult. He’s getting violent, too. On said Thursday, despite setting out a reduced timetable for him, he couldn’t cope, and after shoving three classmates, I had to physically restrain him, gently, and cope with being punched, spat at and kicked, while he slowly calmed down, all the while, trying to ensure the rest of the class were safely inside their classrooms. It’s not the first time that week, this child necessitated the class being evacuated due to the safety of others. Once calm, we had to send him home, as he was being physically violent. After he left, I sat down to work with a group of children, and the resources needed, weren’t ready. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, to be honest. I felt like a failure. One child causing so much disrruption, and affecting the learning of twenty nine others, (and another class of twenty nine’s also, on two occasions). Tears threatened, as I struggled to open books and hastily prepare the books for learning. This is where I was more grateful than ever for the strong, caring team, I have working with me. My TAs sent me away with my cup, to get a drink, and calm down, taking over the class. My head found me, and reassured me, these things weren’t my fault. We now have an emergency Ed Psych coming to see this child, hopefully to get some help for him, and us, so we can help him as best we can. Once again, so thankful for my wonderful team, and grateful for everyone around us that trys to help children with needs like these.
If we were having chai I’d admit, it’s been a tough week, so I wasn’t even able to go for a walk, daily. But, being in school meant that my step count has hit over 10k, no worries, every day! On top of the emotions of school, my knee started to really hurt again, so for two days I didn’t want to risk straining it further. But I ate sensibly. And we managed a couple of walks, at least. On Saturday, I met with a friend, and despite being rained and hailed on, i clicked this pretty picture. Mother’s Day, we managed a 3.3 mile walk, too!
If we were having chai I’d let you in on a secret. I only managed to read one book this week. And that is testament to how tough the week has been for me. Usually it’s two or three, at least!
If we were having chai I’d have to mention Mother’s Day. Sunday was Mothering Sunday in the UK, and, even though I did wake before the others to feed the cat, I was joined by Lil Man an hour later, and he made me breakfast, after taping a message and menu on the kitchen door, stating I wasn’t to do it myself, as he was treataing me! We then waited for the rest of the household to get up, and headed off on a driveby visit to my mother in law, to drop cards and a present to her, and the kids aunt, my sister-in-law. They always honour her on Mother’s Day too, as she does a lot for both my kids. Breakfast was just the start. I was spoiled with some new cosy slippers, a new mug, and a beaautiful bookmark, as well as an Indiaan Afternoon Tea! I had been saving myself, because I knew there would be extreme calories consumed! And it was wonderful. I was still stuffed seven hours later!
Oh, my days, check out my new silvery look.. I’m toying with just leaving my hair to be au naturel…
This week, I am hoping for a calmer week at school but I’m not holding my breath! To be honest, I can’t see beyond school, right now, so anything else that happens in life would be a bonus!
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“A mother is the one who fills your heart in the first place.”
Amy Tan
Thakn you for this, Spidey.
It is indeed Mothering Sunday, here in the UK, today.
As I have written this the night before, the hope is that I have managed a lie in, but to be honest, given my body clock is operating on a different time zone to the two teenagers, and the night owl husband I think that even with my idea of a lie in, I’ll have been up a while, before they awake, so breakfast in bed is an idea that never seems to work!
Today, I want to celebrate my mother, though.
Again, I won’t be able to be with her, physically, due to the Covid restrictions, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate her.
Without my mum, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today. She’s been my guide, my support, my shade, my sunshine, my friend.
But most of all, she’s been there. I know, that, despite being forty five, I have those moments where I need my mum, and she is always there, at the end of the phone, or video call, ready to listen.
And having learned from her, I try to be that to my own daughter and son.
I’ve said this before, but if i am even half the mother my own is, I would be a good one.
Today can’t pass without mentioning those other women, who I hold in high esteem, too.
My mother-in-law, who gave me her son, as my husband, and who has been my mother, truly, not an ‘in-law’. I am lucky to have such a wonderful relationship with her, and I am grateful every day.
My aunts, who have loved and cherished me, throughout my life. We may not live close by, but I know they are there, and some have been key figures in my life.
Even my best friend’s mum, who I call Ammi, because she opened her arms to me, the moment she knew that we were inseperable as a duo, and welcomed me as her fifth daughter. When I was at university, my own parents were a good few hours away, and my best friend’s family, just a short drive away. I would spend time there on some weekends, and she got to know my favourite dishes, so there were times when she’d send special food, just for me, when my bestie had been at home and I hadn’t been with her. It still happens, you know. If we have a meeting planned, Ammi would still make sure she’s made certain things for me to have.
So, how are you celebrating Mothers day? Are you the one being spoilt, or are you celebrating a great woman, mother or other, today?
Because this week is an anniversary–albeit a mostly miserable one–for most people around the world, I’d like to suggest something different for this week’s SoCS. You don’t have to do it. You can just choose one of the prompt words and run with it as you always do. I might do that myself. But I thought it would be interesting to see not just how everyone has coped, or not, over the last year, but to share our common experiences as a way to connect, to feel a little less alone, perhaps. Basically, talk about your last year is what I’m saying, whether stream-of-consciousness style or not. Or, if you’d rather not, talk about any time period your heart desires. Without further ado, here’s your prompt for this week:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “day/week/month/year.” Use one, use them all, use them any way you’d like. Enjoy!
A year ago, we were all sitting, confused. So much was happening, somewhere in the world, the appeared to not really concern us too much… or was it?
A virus threatening to attack huge numbers of people.
Never did we think that it would end up like this, with us in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
Lockdowns, PPE, hospitalisations, deaths, not being able to see anyone, other than our household…
For me, as a teacher, it was the weirdest, surreal time during those first few months of lockdown. Never having ‘taught’ remotely, online, before, we were all struggling, not sure what real expectations were.
Initially, I thrived. I enjoyed the time at home, working, but also carving out time to write, and I managed quite a bit. I baked, spent time with the kids, and went into school once a fortnight, but otherwise, worked from home.
The weeks slowly turned into months.
My creativity dried up.
Our house became a building site with renovations and decorators.
But, infection rates began to fall. Restrictions started to be loosened.
School started up, again. But not as we knew it.
Life was normal, but not, if you know what I mean.
Then, unsurprisingly, the infection rates began to rise again.
Lockdown #2.
(Yet still, school was open, because we were ‘safe’, apparently.)
Easing, again, just in time for Christmas, even though the easing was quite possibly going to cause havoc…
And it did. Along with the discovery of a new variant.
I found myself in isolation the day before we were due to break up for the Christmas holidays, as a colleague I worked with tested positive. this also meant I was isolating on Christmas Day, too.
Joy.
Still not much writing done, though. I simply couldn’t.
A quiet, but happy New Years celebration, followed by the news that we would be hitting another lockdown, (number three, now) and going into remote learning, again, for at least six weeks.
My class, who I had barely known for three months, ended up away from school for another nearly three months…
They came back, on Monday.
Mostly happy. Some, affected more than others.
And today, I sit here, after my first week back in school with them, grateful to have them back with me, but so sad that they have missed so much time with us in class.
And in our personal life?
I released my debut novel shortly before everything kicked off. Over the year, I have been featured on several blogs, interviewed for two podcasts, and was even on a live radio show, as an invited guest!
My own kids have missed months of schooling, within school, but have been online for neraly 6 months of the last year.
Hubby Dearest is suffering Cabin Fever, being at home, working, for the last year.
We lost one of our parrotletts.
Sonu Singh has been spoilt, thinking thata he’s always going to have someone at home with him.
I’ve not seen my parents for six months. Thank goodness for video calls.
My daugher turned teenager, and she finally got her braces.
My son is preparing for the GCSEs that never were… but he also got into Sixth Form College, so yay!
And me? I’m still not writing regularly, but creative bursts hit, sporadically…
But I Smile Anyway... 