Blog: Travels from my study
I first wrote this blog post in late March, just as it became clear I wasn’t going to be able to travel to see my students for some time. That first incarnation I accidentally deleted and, demoralised and anxious, I was unable to revisit the idea of writing another until today. It has been an extraordinary three months in which we have seen the country swept by the coronavirus with all of its political, economic and social ramifications and have all been forced to grow accustomed to some sort of change of routine and life. When lock-down was first announced I was reeling from the effects on my business: the loss of my year 11s; my art classes which were then taking place at the library; the steady stream of new students. But also the personal losses of participation in music, social life, family connection and all out-of-the-house activities with my young son.
Things have moved on a little since then. The vast majority of KS3 and 4 learners decided they would like to continue online and I’ve found this to be not-at-all detrimental to the learning process. The whiteboard tools, the ease with which sources can be shared and checked and further information gathered, and the availability of whiteboard/document sharing tools have all revolutionized the way I am teaching. All of my books and materials are close at hand and not, as before, gradually working their way back to me having been left at someone’s house thanks to the hectic and itinerant nature of my work. The gaps in my timetable are gradually filling, mostly with extra sessions for students struggling to keep up with the demands of remote learning and a small clutch of singing students. And my art students and I still meet twice a week via zoom to continue drawing and painting.
I am hugely thankful and grateful that I can still work - that I have work as a refuge where I can feel excited, challenged and valued and where I can forget momentarily about some of the bleaker difficulties we are all facing. And I will continue to strive to make my lessons a refuge for my students. A space where they can feel excited, challenged and valued, where they can bounce ideas, run their work under another set of eyes, get some guidance and reassurance and, be momentarily immersed and absorbed in new and wonderful ideas. In this way, while I might not be able to travel to see my students for a little while longer in person, I can travel with them in spirit.
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