Reality...

This is a back blip so was taken yesterday, Friday, and the end of the first week back at school. Three words to sum it up? Difficult, stressful and exhausting.

It seems to me, and my colleagues ,that a lot of the 'fun stuff' has gone.

1) Mixing with other classes &  children previously taught is always a pleasure - gone.

2) Music - my classroom is always full of music. I make up songs about everything and it's my way of getting us all to gel as a class, solve behaviour things and good time fun things with a class sing. Gone, not allowed.

3) Teaching in a carousel in which I teach music to the other classes in KS2 - gone.

4) Our children are brilliant at looking after each other and younger children...gone. Except for 'in class.'

5) The last 30 mins on a Friday afternoon has always been free choice time. Now the choices for free time are much more limited - no mixing with other classes, no big sing, no using the classroom next door to share free time activities. We had colouring and a film...except my IWB didn't match the computer screen and then sound system crashed! 

Social distancing is non-existent in class...it's a small room with lots of people. 

It's difficult to keep a safe distance from staff at times, no matter how hard you try.

Endless hand-washing and sanitising which takes a lot out of lesson time. 

Sudden switches when you realise that a bubble (class) might mix.

Toilet time - all go at the same time and queue...takes ages.

Utterly exhausted by the time I had been for a walk. Bed by 7:30pm.

I had meant to go out for an early morning walk, but in the end, there was very little light and so I didn't. I was therefore surprised when the actual sun rose and it looked like this :) 



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