HOME LEARNING

We have all been devastated by this pandemic that has swept the world in a matter of weeks. Schools have rapidly had to change the way they operate and be available for key workers' children. The inequalities that have long existed in communities and schools are now being amplified by the virus.

As school leaders grapple with the near impossible mission to start bringing more students into schools from 1st June, there are hundreds of thousands of Year 6 pupils thinking anxiously about their move to secondary school.

History is an ever-evolving subject and there is always something to read, watch or listen to in order to expand your knowledge as a practitioner. Around two months ago on Twitter I had seen several soon-to-be trainee teachers looking for ways to develop their knowledge and it made me consider how I use my ‘downtime’. 

No matter how young or old you are, no matter where you live and no matter what language you speak, this digital citizenship roadmap is meant to help you navigate these uncharted times we all find ourselves learning and working at home. 

Google ‘teacher presence’ and you are welcomed by a sea of abstract and nebulous terms: ‘that special something,’ ‘the wow factor,’ ‘a certain vibe,’ ‘a personality that exudes confidence,’ ‘that special je ne sais quoi,’....

With another week of lockdown continuing, many of us will continue teaching our students online. Engagement through remote learning can vary, it can be especially difficult if you are not teaching a core subject like English, Maths or Science. If you are like me, I have been struggling to keep some of my sociology and psychology students engaged outside of the classroom. It has required me to think outside the box and put my creative hat on when thinking about activities I can set my students to keep them hooked on social sciences!

When Boris Johnson announced the lockdown at 8pm on Monday 23rd March, I wept. I was relieved to know that I wouldn’t go home after a busy day of teaching 150 different children feeling terrified at the possibility of bringing death into my home. But after suffering from postnatal depression last year following the birth of my first child, I was shaken with the dawning familiarity of feeling trapped and isolated. The prospect of being confined within my home with my needs coming far below those of my child, husband and students, left me panicked. 

Global society has been transformed in ways not seen for generations. We are all facing massive challenges in terms of health and education. School leaders, teachers and families around the world have all asked:

My Grandma was becoming a teenager at the start of the second world war. Now in her nineties and ensconced in a lovely care home in South Devon she plays the role of an aging matriarch from an Agatha Christie novel to a tee. With several biblical resurrections to her name I am beginning to wonder whether she will outlive me, let alone the generation between us. 

Over the last few months, I feel like we have been suspended in reality, dangling along the edge of a black hole where every minute feels like hours or days… 

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