As a unique – to say the least – school year draws to a close, I find myself involved in meetings to discuss some of the positives and negatives of online teaching during the past few months. Despite the challenges I noted, I was pleased to see that the former list was my longer one.
Don’t get me wrong. Quarantine, lockdown, and physical distancing are not my preferences. I have experienced low moments, to be sure; however, I was pleased to realize that, when my lists were laid out in black and white, I saw silver.
I would like to take this opportunity to create a broader list of COVID-19 observations from other areas of my life. What COVID-inspired changes do I want to preserve going forward, and what changes will I be happy to leave behind?
One aspect of online learning that ended up on both of my lists was video conferencing. While too much screen time and too much sitting at a computer are downsides to the COVID situation, these conferencing tools have also provided connection. I kept in touch with my students. We played math games and read together by sharing my computer screen. These interactions may have been limited, but as a friend of mine says, “Some is better than none.”
Video conferencing has also served me quite well on a personal level. I have enjoyed several family visits, a choir catch-up session, and happy hour with some girlfriends. When we were unable to visit in each other’s homes, attend choir practices, or go to restaurants, the internet gave me opportunities to “see” my loved ones. While I look forward to resuming face-to-face visits, since many of my family members and friends live far away, video conferencing is something I hope to hold on to in some capacity.
As a child and young adult, I used to spend hours writing letters. There is something so satisfying in taking a pen to paper to share one’s latest news or deepest thoughts with someone special. Joy is also to be found in the discovery of what we now call “snail mail” mixed in with bills and flyers. Since emailing and texting are quicker forms of communication, I had not written many letters over the past few years … until COVID. Instead of simply sending cards for special occasions, I now write letters to my nieces and nephews. I likewise drop notes and interesting articles clipped from newspapers into the mailbox more frequently. Letter-writing is a COVID-resumed practice I intend to maintain.
As a stay-home mom, I used to bake quite regularly. I began baking as a young girl and found that the aroma of baking made my house really feel like “home.” Once I returned to work, my time was limited. It was faster to buy bread at the store, and we certainly didn’t need to eat sweets on a regular basis. Since the lockdown, my daughters have filled our kitchen with homemade bagels, tarts, cookies, and to-die-for brownies, to name a few! We don’t need the calories, but we’ve certainly enjoyed the pleasure that comes from baking and eating the comfort foods of quarantine. Maybe we won’t keep the frequency of these baking episodes, but I’m sure the girls will retain the skills they’ve learned and use them in the future to make their own houses feel like homes.
My children and I have been involved in music ministry at our church for many years. The purchase of a new piano in February has brought much joy, for example, through the singing and recording of some religious selections to share with our family. We have gathered around the living room to watch Mass on YouTube or livestreams. COVID has changed the way we worship, but we still worship together, and this will definitely continue past the pandemic.
Although difficult, the pandemic has allowed me to connect with loved ones far away as well as those living right under my roof. I will be glad to hug people outside my “bubble” again, but I will keep a few habits from the past months.
For now, I am choosing to record my observations in black and white, to more clearly recognize God’s silver linings.
