Community Chat

[gellen]

I am a teacher and having been off since March I am finding these summer days endless since I am not going anywhere and live alone.  I few visits with friends to look forward to and that is about it.  I look at the clock and it is 10 minutes later than the last time I looked.  I do have things to keep me busy but not enough to fill up two months!

[stevieb]

To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure I'm differentiating the seasons anymore. Having been a virtual shut-in for so long, I feel I've missed spring and am missing summer. I'm reading a ton and heaven knows television is less of an appealing, viable option than ever. I'm rarely going outside, so when I do I notice it's hot and that's about it as far as my nod to summer goes, since it's not possible to head out to too many place, and the pool is closed this year.  I'm not feeling so much like the days are endless as much as there's very little to differentiate between them. I'm not a big fan of summer but miss those aspects of it that I usually enjoy and certainly missed enjoying the spring. Like most of us, I miss any sense of normalcy at all. Here's to better days, I hope.

[RetRN]

Not at all, I take my ususal walks, work in my flower bed, get books from the library (curbside pickup, I just call ahead and set up day and time to pick up), email friends, have gone through photos and recipes. I still need to cook, clean, and do laundry. I've gone through my closets and now that the local thrift store is open I can take things there. So many people are facing much more difficult challenges than I am. I am retired so don't have to worry about job loss or closure of a business. I am grateful and thankful for everyday. Count your blessings. 

[lolakimono]

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@gellen wrote:

I am a teacher and having been off since March I am finding these summer days endless since I am not going anywhere and live alone.  I few visits with friends to look forward to and that is about it.  I look at the clock and it is 10 minutes later than the last time I looked.  I do have things to keep me busy but not enough to fill up two months!

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@gellen 

No.

I am a teacher and I am just as busy as I was during eLearning.

While the district decided what to do about providing eLearning to all students, who lacked devices, teachers were "off" for two weeks.  During those two weeks we were told that they were not work hours, but we could use the time for professional development, grading, lesson planning, providing enrichment activities for our students, and checking in on our students after the closure.

When we started "officially" it was a 10 week period of bleary eyes, brain fog, and endless messages in my inbox.

Students finished on June 18, and then we had additional days.  As a compromise for telling us not to work but then suggesting that we catch up on work, we have 20 hours of PD to do.  The first week after school ended I went into school to inventory textbooks, I created three (paid) lessons as a supplement to our curriculum, and I completed four hours of institutional training (like bloodborne pathogens). 

I have taken countless surveys from the union and the BOE about my preferences for reopening schools.  I am taking a 15 hour course this week, which happens synchronously with 200 other people over four days.  When I finish that work for the day, I move on to the numerous other self-directed PD sessions that I am working on, because the district didn't anticipate the number of sessions that they would need to run so that everyone could get their hours in by the required date so that "someone" could be checking off all of the hours for about 8K teachers and staff. 

Today, after my synchonous session, I worked on developing my own school-wide professional development session for staff, which I had to complete a training on first and then submit plans. I just finished watching two hours of Google tips and taking quizzes on those.I also finished one course where I earn a micro-credential, or .2 credits towards the five that I will need on my new certificate period, which starts today.  In my "free time" I ordered a book for a book study that begins in two weeks.  Tonight I have to do the reading for tomorrow's class session, and then I'll work on completing another micro-credential.  Yesterday I spent several hours reviewing 20 resources and completing a reflection sheet for EACH resource, and I am only halfway finished with that PD.

My BF is going to the beach with his family in two weeks but I have to stay home so that I can have the high-speed internet distraction free zone that I need to participate in all of the PD sessions that are due.

I am exhausted.    

[Whosits]

And I feel summer has barely started. I live alone also but have always been an introvert and so have never socialized that much. But I did volunteer about 4-5 days a week and that kept me pretty busy. Without that, it is true my days became very empty.

I devised coping mechanisms. First of all I chart the daily COVID positives and deaths in every state, every day. I have also devised charts that show me graphically what is happening in states that I am most curious about. I also read news on 3 different sites, fairly meticulously. (I never used to do that.) That takes a lot of time and unfortunately is all done sitting. I cannot muster enthusiam to do any of my hobbies, or to clean. Course cleaning was always a four letter word for me. I started out trying to walk at least three times a day but that ebbed out. 

I am reading a ton and play Mah Jong online and am more active here on this forum. I talk on the phone to family and friends. 

I hope you can find ways to occupy your time as well.

[Lipstickdiva]

I've been working the entire time so I don't have that problem.  March felt like it would never end as did April but now I can't believe it's already July.

I've not been doing a ton but DH and I have been camping a few times, done some jet skiing and I've gone to a few very small family gatherings.  It has been very nice getting together with people.  

[kaydee50]

Yes.  Here in Chicago in the summer we would have so many events going on, there was always something to do.  Now--nothing.  Fortunately, at least for the time being, I've been able to get my haircut!!, get books from the library and actually eat in a restaurant.  How long those things will last, who knows???  It may as well be snowing and icy outside.

[Lali1]

I have more trouble with the nights and weekends. I'm going to bed at 10 pm. I lay in bed and read for an hour or more but it's still really early for me. 

[ROMARY]

For me, it's passing by too quickly.

I was losing track of the days, so I've been crossing out days and weeks on my calendar.  

I miss my routines, browsing around in stores on certain days.  Talking to regular employees, etc.

[lovesrecess]

I am married and we are both retired, but going out is just not what we do, the heat index today is supposed to be 108 by 4 o’clock. Saharan dust supposed to increase tomorrow. COVID numbers here are soaring....I can think of more reasons to stay inside than go out!