An Update on The Adventure of Online Learning During the Pandemic

It has been one month since virtual learning has started here in Saint Louis. I said I wanted to pop in periodically to let you all know how things were going on in my neck of the woods. I figured a month was a good amount of time to get a real, true look at how things are going.

Concerning stay at home online learning, there have definitely been ups and definitely been downs. This is also very, very exhausting. I am finding myself falling asleep on the couch about once or twice a week from about 4pm to 5pm. Just a little nod off, but I don't ever, ever nap unless I am over exhausted or sick. This is definitely exhaustion. And it is not that this is physically demanding, helping my kids out with their virtual school, but it is mentally draining, and sure, it can be physical too. We use recess to walk the dogs, or run around out back before it gets too cold, or shoot baskets. We try to cram in as much as we can during my son's one hour window that consists of recess and lunch.

My daughter is actually returning to in-person learning on Wednesday the 30th, and that was a whole other level of stress trying to figure out what to do. The school district we are in is doing a phase in return. They are having pre-k, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade all returning on the 30th. And while the kindergarteners and first and second graders have a choice of returning to in person, pre k does not. We had to decide, in a week, if we wanted our daughter to go back to her four days a week, or just skip a whole year of school. After much thought, communication with her teacher, and finding out there were only six kids in her class, we decided to let her return to in person. She will be masked, as will the other students, staff and anyone else in the building. Her teacher has also informed us that the first week of school will be all about washing hands and sanitizing and social distancing, and we really like her, and trust her. It will be quite the adjustment, but we came to a decision, and we will see what happens. I have also been drilling into her head the importance of masks and hand washing and all of that. She is over prepared, which is good.

My son is still home. He started third grade this year, so he has to wait. He's upset, but he understands. He is pretty optimistic that he will be going back at the end of next month, and if we keep doing well in the county, I'd say he will be back to in person learning too. But I am starting to notice that he is getting a combination of bored and stir crazy. He is a smart kid, but he doesn't want to challenge himself. He will do the necessary work, he usually gets solid to good grades and he likes when he is on Zoom. He likes seeing his friends and he likes to have work. It keeps him busy. But lately his morning Zoom meetings have been ending early. The schedule says that he has math from 8:45-10:00am. I know that doesn't mean he will be on Zoom the whole time, but the other day, at 9am, he told me he was done already. I did not believe him. I triple checked his work, made him take a quiz a second time, and all that only took about 15 minutes. He was totally done, everything was correct, and he still had over 40 minutes before his next meeting. I did not like this, and neither did he. He retreated to his room and read for about 20 minutes, but then he joined my daughter and I for her story time Zoom. He kept complaining that he was bored and needed work to do, so I told him to go ahead in his math workbook. He said he couldn't, so he just hung out until it was time for his meeting.

This was the one thing, outside of technical problems, that I was worried about happening. As I said, my son is very smart, but he will not do extra work if he doesn't feel like it. Basically, if it isn't a video game, my son will not put in the extra effort. But I don't fault him. He is eight. What eight year old wants to do extra work in school if they don't have to? I know I didn't. This has been the hardest and most exhausting part, trying to keep him engaged. We are finding new ways to occupy his extra free time, and with my daughter going back it should be easier to fully focus on him and his work. But still, he has a ton of free time, and I wasn't expecting that. I am sure his teacher, and other teachers as well, weren't expecting this either. 8:45 to 3:30 is a long day to be on a computer, even with the built in time away from his screen. But I did not expect this much free time. The mornings go faster because I have both kids to deal with, but the afternoons are tough.

I do still applaud our district for doing what they have done, and continue to do. The whole district had a big time Zoom meltdown this morning, but they were back online by 10. That is impressive. But this is much more exhausting than I thought. I am a very attentive father, at least I like to think I am, but there are times where I feel lost, and helpless trying to find things for both kids, but mainly my son, to do. The virtual learning is okay, I still support the decision, but my kid needs more work to do. I know that is up to me, and I will come up with something. But, I do want the Zoom's to last longer and I would like my kid to be able to move ahead if he feels he can and needs to.

All in all this is fine, I am still opining for the days when he was in a building, but this is okay. I am just emotionally, mentally and physically tired, and we still have a month to go. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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