PIVOT! You remember that scene from Friends where Ross is screaming "PIVOT, PIVOT"? Since March 13th, I feel like I have been stuck in that one scene. I have learned to Pivot on a dime. School is closed for two weeks ... we will be back, don't take everything home. So we pivoted to a modified school system for the kids. Fast forward two weeks, schools will be closed for the foreseeable future, but you still can't get your stuff since we are quarantined... pivot again. Do your best, they said, but stay inside and don't go out.
We seemed to settle down for the remainder of the school year. Lots of personal pivots... family vacations canceled, beach trips become a game of how far apart can I sit from these people on the beach. I mean really, it was like a giant game of Jenga...ooh, they are getting too close, should I move to the left... nope there is someone there. Pivot, pivot, pivot.
Then the new year began, major pivot time. Lots of last-minute decisions. Let's push back the year by two weeks but teachers you should come to school to "train". Pivot all of those planned lessons. Let's go virtual but teachers should teach from school. Pivot. Now I have to sit in an empty classroom and teach. Glad I didn't have little kids that needed me to help them. (Those teachers could teach from home but their littles would be there too... how do you do that?!?) Finally, let's all come back to school but parents can decide what they want to do. Here is a list of requirements for the classroom. Pivot.. now we get ready... how do I put these desks so far apart, how will they each lunch? Pivot, Pivot, Pivot.
The year seems to be a series of more pivots. Don't want to come to school, have covid, tired today from a late-game... stay at home... I will upload all of your lessons.. sure you can join virtually. Whatever it takes! The weather is bad... let's stay home and I will teach you without any of your supplies. Pivot, pivot, pivot. One thing for sure is I am a master of the pivot... maybe I could have helped Ross!
Unfortunately for him, Ross was probably not a teacher. Teachers are the best "pivoters" ever. I used to work with a firm of architects called PIVOT. They were always on their toes, very efficient.
ReplyDeleteYes, so many changes on a dime! What a year...
ReplyDeleteAnd you totally understand reeled me in with your title! I can't stay away from a Ross pivot reference!!
So many changes and we had to change quickly.
ReplyDeleteIt feels like this year is filled with pivot points. It's really hard on everyone (i.e., teachers, kids, families). We've had less pivots in our house since my daughter has been remote all year, but there are days when her synchronous class becomes asynchronous because her teacher has to cover for someone who is absent. It's hard to manage, but I think my daughter is becoming more flexible as a result.
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