The best is the enemy of the good.       Voltaire
It’s 2:00 a.m., and like many of you these days, I can’t sleep. The world is changing before my eyes, and the connections I have with colleagues, students, friends, and family are vanishing.
I take out my sketchbook and start designing video lessons. I keep them broad, keep them short, make them relevant, and don’t forget a touch of humor and warmth. I record a video lesson with an iPhone propped up on a cardboard box that leans against a Scrabble dictionary to keep it stable.
I hit play and watch my video. My voice is squeaky, the lighting is sterile, and all I see are the wrinkles on my neck and across my forehead.
I don’t know how to edit a video. I don’t know how to create a YouTube channel. I KNOW my lesson isn’t perfect. Yet I muddle through figuring out how to post a video, and hit publish.
Maybe these lessons will help a couple of kids. Maybe they will inspire a teacher to create her own lessons. Maybe my dogs romping around in the background will make a few people smile. Maybe none of this will happen. It doesn’t matter. My own kids will laugh, and that makes me happy. I can finally fall asleep again.
I wake up and log on to Twitter. There, on the screen, I see online drawing lessons, free read-alouds, collaborative music, and free online PD sessions. There are gifts from educators and children’s book authors everywhere.
There is beauty and hope underneath this tragedy. Your online lessons might not be perfect. Mine certainly aren’t. You know what? They are good enough. Your students need to see your face and hear your voice. Teachers—you are wanted, you are needed, and you matter.
You’ve got this!
This week we look at new resources for remote teaching and coaching. Plus more as always—enjoy.
Tammy Mulligan
Contributor, Choice Literacy
Tammy Mulligan co-authored It’s All About the Books and Assessment in Perspective with Clare Landrigan. At work, you can find her teaching and thinking alongside elementary teachers and kids. On other days, she is in her garden, hiking in the woods, or hiding behind a pile of children’s books. Connect with Tammy on Twitter @TammyBMulligan.