I sent out the link to the Zoom meeting this morning, and I’m praying some students show up. Most of my class have their own cell phones, so I made sure to give instructions on how to download the app, so they can talk to me on their devices.
As I sit at my kitchen counter, after making sure everything in the background is appropriate for my class to see, I log on.
My face fills the entire screen, and I flinch at the size of my head, quickly covering my face. With a laugh, I peek behind my hands to ease myself into the view of the camera, which is pointed up at me in an unflattering way.
Next time, I for sure need to work on the angle of this thing as well as the lighting.
One after another, multiple boxes pop up on my screen, showing the students I miss so much. Everyone talks over one another, and the expressions on their faces are priceless when they see their friends they haven’t been around for almost two weeks.
I let them all take it in and enjoy the moment. After all, this is probably the most exciting thing that’s happened to them as well. It’s obvious that multiple conversations are going at once, and I try to figure out who is actually talking to who.
After a few minutes, I speak up and try to get their attention, “Hey, everyone.”
They all quiet down.
“How are you all doing?”
I see some shrugs and some nods, and a few kids actually answer by saying, “All right.”
“How about you, Ms. Witzel?” Timmy asks.
I give the same response, “I’m all right. Staying inside, like I hope you all are doing as well.” I see a few kids nod before I continue, “But to be totally honest … I’m so bored!”
The kids all laugh and agree. “Yes!” I hear a collective response.
We discuss the distance-learning assignments I assigned through Google Classroom and what this week should look like.
The whole thing amazes me. Thanks to technology, we’re making this work. If this had happened when I was their age, none of this would have been possible. Shoot, I didn’t even know Zoom existed until last week, and now, it’s all over the place! I’ve had to talk to a few parents just to walk them through how to log on to Google Classroom, as even that is over their heads.
“I saw something online today that I really want you guys to consider,” I say. “And no, it’s not an assignment, nor will you actually be turning this in. I want you to do this becauseyouwant to and nothing more.”
A few kids roll their eyes, and I can tell they’ve checked out, so I try to bring them back in.
“How many of you have grandparents who fought in the Vietnam War?”
A few raise their hands.
“Okay, what about September 11? Do you know anyone who was personally affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center?”
Only one raises her hand. Since we’re in California, I’m not too surprised on this one.
“Then, let’s think about your great-grandparents. Did anyone fight in World War II or the Korean War?”
A few more raise their hands.
“Now, imagine if you could read their journal from back then. My dad fought in the Vietnam War, and I’ve had the opportunity to read every letter he sent home to my grandparents during that time. By just reading his letters, I learned way more about that period in history than I ever could have in any textbook. It was fascinating because he was actually living in the fields of an unknown area during a very uncertain time in our history.”
“But what does that have to do with what’s going on now? We’re not at war,” Nick asks.
“No, we aren’t, but I absolutely guarantee you that your grandchildren will be reading about today, the pandemic of 2020, in their history books. This is affecting the entire world! I hope you realize that we haven’t dealt with anything like this since 1918 with the Spanish flu. So, how cool would it be if they got to read your journal during this time?”
Some shrug as others take it seriously.
“That would be pretty cool,” Angeline says.
“If you’re interested, I encourage you to write down what your day is like. What your thoughts and fears are. Just remember, your grandchildren might want to read it someday, so watch what you say,” I tease.
Once all the important stuff is out of the way, I give each student a few minutes to talk about what they’re doing at home and to share anything they want.
