Remotely Remote
By Tony Rayl
So here we are, sitting around with a kid on quarantine, maybe two, just not sure.
We made it a little more than two weeks into the school year, then boom.
Really thought it would be a little longer, but it doesn’t take much for this thing to mess things up.
I know there seems to be a lot of extraordinary precautions with this, and that vexes many. Keep in mind, though, that the U.S. has gone above 200,000 deaths this week, and that’s in six months.
So many people get it, and it spreads so fast, and yet so many never know they have it, or have minor symptoms.
Thank goodness.
Things seem to change all the time with this, making it more frustrating, but it is termed “novel” for a reason.
Nobody likes wearing masks. Nobody likes not getting to do things like normal. Sometimes, though, ya just gotta be a team player.
In the end, it is our kids we need to consider.
My children absolutely hate remote learning, and I don’t blame them. I bet the teachers hate it also. It is just too impersonal. Even in today’s high-technology days, good old-fashioned face-to-face learning cannot be supplanted. Humans need human interaction, even though most of us stick our noses in our phones most of the day. One still needs that human touch.
One kid told me everyone showed up for one class with all the students still in their beds. I would do that too if I was them.
I was told it was tough to have everyone off “mute” because it just gets too chaotic, so there is not that intra-personal interaction.
As I write this, we have been into remote learning again for four school days. I already see the same the same mental stress in our kids I saw last spring. It’s just not healthy for anybody. Even our college kids say the remote learning stinks.
That’s why I was so big on getting back to in-person learning, even though I am one of those rare people out here that think the COVID threat is real.
I don’t care what you think about this whole thing, if we don’t get it together, our kids are screwed. This remote learning will not hold up, no matter the hard work and best intentions of our educators, who are doing all they can. Teaching always has been a thankless and noble task, but even more so now.
The sustainability of humankind always relies on the education of our next generation. It always has to be a focus.
And so please, everyone do their part so we can get everyone back in real class as soon as possible.
Face coverings are effective if everyone wears them in public indoor places. Our kids are not getting the novel coronavirus because masks and social distancing don’t work, but because so many will not practice these simple things.
It also means keeping your kids from going other places, or even to local social gatherings where none of these simple precautions are not practiced.
I know it stinks. It’s no fun for me or my family either, but it’s time for everyone to become a team player.
Otherwise, this will only get worse.
Rayl can be reached at [email protected].