How COVID-19 affects Instruction this Valentine’s Day
How will Valentine’s Day look in your classroom this year? That’s the question I asked three teacher friends from different parts of the country. Here’s what I found out.
By Debra VanDeventer
How will Valentine’s Day look in your classroom this year? That’s the question I asked three teacher friends from different parts of the country. Here’s what I found out.
I wasn’t going to do it this year. I swear I wasn’t. But old habits die hard. After 37 years in an elementary classroom, the school calendar still runs in my veins. And on February 1st the hearts began to pop up everywhere. First, a trip to the fabric store where I scored some half-price fabric and this shiny (dare I say gaudy) wreath. Then at the dollar I couldn’t resist buying Valentine’s Day cards and a bag (OK, 2 bags) of Valentine Candy. Yes, I know, I don’t have a class. And I don’t want one. After three years of retirement, I’ve become accustomed to living life on my own schedule. What stress I have is of my own making. I’m not sure I could even survive Valentine’s Day in a classroom anymore, But still…
Winter Homecoming
by Debra VanDeventer
Fall fades, Winter comes
A frosty walk warms my heart
I am home again
Although I now call Arizona home, I’m a Midwestern girl. I grew up in Southern Indiana and am a frequent visitor to our family’s cozy lakeside condo there. We moved to the Southwest, in part, to enjoy the abundant sunshine and warm winter weather. But I must admit, I do occasionally miss the pattern of bare tree limbs against the gray sky, a brisk walk on a wintry day, and maybe a touch of snow. So how do I warm up to winter?
The Stage is Set
A few months after retiring , I repurposed my home office space where remnants of my teaching career piled high in the corners, closet, and bookshelves. It was a therapeutic process to go through stacks of teachers’ guides, evaluations, planning books, and children’s books that had been a crucial part of my professional life. Ultimately, the process helped me define what I no longer needed, and what I would carry forward into retirement. The room is small (10’x 9’) and doubles as a guest room. I had to make the most of every corner.