Posted by Breanne Smedley |

Year number eight of teaching started this morning at 8:35am!

On Zoom...

Not what I expected!

Usually the first day of school is filled with nervous excitement. It takes me back every year...

To that feeling of new beginnings. New faces. A fresh start. Nervous to find out what classes you have. Excited to find out who you have class with.

As a teacher, those feelings still exist. The nervousness of how the class dynamic will be. The excitement of meeting students for the first time. The halls buzzing with activity.

So, this morning, as I logged onto Zoom to greet my first period, I expected it to feel different.

I expected that there wouldn't be the reconnection of seeing familiar faces.

I expected that I wouldn't see the nervous freshman worried about getting lost and not making to their next class on time.

I expected that the excited buzz wouldn't be there.

I also expected a whole host of things to go wrong with virtual learning.

Students not being able to log in.

My mic not working.

Screen-share gone wrong.

Students changing their Zoom names to "Seymour Butts" or worse.

What I didn't expect is what actually happened.

Students logged in, on time.

30-50 high school kids on zoom, all staring back at me with nervous excitement like I had seen every year prior.

They engaged.

They chatted appropriately.

They told me how they were feeling (mostly tired, nervous, and excited).

They posted videos as part of our day #1 assignment that were thoughtful, fun, and engaging.

They commented on each other's videos with curiosity and kindness.

So, while we weren't together physically, the first day of school vibe was still strong enough to be palpable through Zoom.

A reminder that our energy has no bounds.

That connection is key.

And that our humanity isn't lost, even though we are apart.

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