Coffee Date- Back to School Edition

I am very much looking forward to the long weekend! In the past, this has been the weekend my mom and I would be at the beach. However, my husband thought it wasn't such a wise decision to go during a holiday weekend (like we've always done over Labor Day), not just because of COVID, but also because of all the protesting and violence ( whether intentional or not) that is ensuing!  I have to say, that as much as it saddens me, I do agree with him.  So I guess I will stick around and have a coffee with the ladies!  



If we were having Coffee, I would tell you that after approximately 142 days off of work, I went back to school this week!
We started out slow with only half the students on day one, the other half on day two, and everyone on day 3.

If we were having coffee, I would also tell you that my school is doing everything they can to keep everyone safe.  Employee's have to scan and record their temperatures each morning. EVERYONE is required to wear a mask or face shields, and teachers have plexi glass in front of their desks. We are trying to social distance students by eliminating large groups, and we've even turned one of the gyms into a second cafeteria to give students more space.



If we were having coffee I'd tell you that I wonder how much longer we will have to wear masks. Wearing them over the summer did not bother me because I really wasn't trying to "function" with it on. I would run into the store as quickly as I could to get what I needed, and then leave.  Now, I am trying to actually work with it on. Not only do I have to raise my voice so the students can hear me through the mask ( which is giving me a sore throat AND I feel like I am sucking in fibers from the mask ), I also feel like wearing the mask impedes my vision ( which I know is probably all in my head).  We were also given face shield to wear, but for some reason mine is sort of fuzzy and I don't feel like I can see clearly out of that.  It is also challenging to hear the students when they are talking to me. The masks muffle their little voices. Mix that with trying to hear a student that is already sitting in the way back of the room ( because of social distancing) and I'm basically saying "What???"  several times a class period.  And this is only after the first few days.

If we were having coffee, I would also tell you how grateful I am to be at this school. With so many people out of work this year, I am so happy to have a job to go to and even better that it is one that I like.  But, I would also tell you that I am looking forward to having the next 4 days off! 

I was asked to share a classroom tour, so that video will be up on my IG stories soon! 

Are the students back to school in your area?    -M





15 comments:

  1. Wow, it must be so hard to teach right now! I've heard about some of the things schools are doing to keep everyone safe and it just sounds so complicated. I hope you can relax a bit over the long weekend!

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    1. Everyone, including students, are really complying with the new rules right now, so that is good. I hope we can make it all year like this!

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  2. Stay safe, Meranda. Hugs to you & Zenaida & all the teachers!

    I wear my mask for a couple of hours when I visit my mom — and yes, even that short time isn’t super comfortable! Enjoy your long weekend. 😊

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    1. Yea, this is definitely a change now that I have to wear the mask for longer periods of time!

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  3. I hope the school year goes well for you! The masks really are a burden, especially in terms of communication. We've been making the desk shields like crazy at our factory!

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    1. Thank you to your company for making all the desk shields. i know the teachers here appreciate the ones we have. We even have some of them hanging from the ceilings!

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  4. We wear masks all day in the clinic; we also wear eye protection but it really makes it hard for me to do a decent physical assessment. I am used to wearing a mask and yes, it dries my skin and my throat but I think about my colleagues in the hospital who wear N-95 masks for 12 hour shifts. It could always be worse. Stay safe, Meranda!

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    1. Oh yes, I am aware that it could always be worse and I am at least thankful that I have a few times through out the day where I am by myself so I can go maskless in my room!

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  5. Ugh!! Kudos to you. I am so glad that I am not a teacher. I work from home on a computer and I'm not complaining because I rately have to wear a mask...only when in a store.
    But as others have said, at least everyone has a job and is healthy. This will end....soon I hope.

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  6. I can only imagine how hard it would be to teach with a mask on. My hat's off to you and all the teachers! Stay safe!

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  7. It definitely sounds like your school is doing everything they can to keep both the students and teachers safe. THANK YOU to you and all the other teachers out there that have to navigate this new normal.

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  8. As a retired teacher, I can tell you, I am so glad I did not have to go back to school this year for all the reasons you wrote about. Kudos to all of you dedicated teachers doing a difficult job in the midst of COVID. You are definitely appreciated. Stay safe and have a great school year!

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  9. Wow! I hope everything goes well and that other solutions come quickly so that you don't all have to wear masks and shout. The kids are lucky to have you! Stay safe, Miranda! xo

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  10. School started this week with the kids staggered so they go every other day and it feels like the best of all worlds. It's really nice to have that little piece of normalcy back in our lives.

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  11. Everything is remote here so the closest we get to a classroom is the school parking lot to pickup supplies. I agree with you looking down while wearing a mask seems to impede my vision. Hope you have a wonderful and safe school year!

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Fairytales and Fitness is a personal blog authored and edited by us, Meranda and Lacey. The thoughts expressed here represent only our own and are not meant to be taken as professional advice. Please note that our thoughts and opinions change from time to time. We consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind in an ever changing society. Any thoughts and opinions expressed within our out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those we may express today. Some links may contain affiliate links. Some links are just to pages we'd like to share.