In March, when the prospect of teaching from home was on the immediate horizon, I was on Spring Break. It turned out to be a Spring without a break as I woke up each day and set to work making plans for myself and my teachers as we moved to remote school. The logistics were overwhelming and, in an effort to still feel like I was on holiday, I started my day in pajamas. Midday often found me in those same pajamas. By early afternoon, I was distressed, feeling overwhelmed by everything at hand - remote teaching (not to mention remote learning), JT at home and missing his school routines as he finished college classes remotely; the lines and shortages in our local grocery stores; the pandemic anxieties in New Jersey, where the caseload was daily increasing by the thousands…..
The list of anxieties seemed endless. The list of solutions seemed both incomplete and painfully short. I seemed to start my day already playing catch up. It was not a winning combination.
By the second week, with the return to classes on the immediate horizon and the pandemic fears still blowing up, I realized that as much as I wanted to be one of those people who could casually work in her pajamas, I am not that person. And so I started to get up and spend a few minutes each morning getting ready for school. I took a shower, I put on clothes, I combed my hair. And then I set to work.
I recognized anew that routines are my sweet spot and comfort-zone and perhaps are even my strength. A routine helps me to find my purpose, persevere in the midst of fear and uncertainty, and manage a heavy workload. So I leaned in to those routines.
I’m thinking of this as I prepare for the start of classes next month. My school will be on campus at half capacity, with half of our students on campus each week, and the other half learning remotely, watching a broadcast of class. It’s a heavy lift from a teaching point of view and as I prepare, I am looking to establish the routines that will serve me well.
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