Tuesday Slice: Despite the thaw, winter woes continue

Last week is bleeding over into this week, just like last year's woes are bleeding over into this year's tribulations.  This was our landscape last Tuesday:

Four days later:

Our timeline:

Thursday, February 11th:  The icy rain started to come down just as we were dismissing students for the day.  We were told to gather our laptops and teaching supplies and leave ASAP. All after school activities were canceled.  Our power cut off and on a couple of times, but was steady after that.

Friday, February 12th:  Woke up to six inches of snow.  We taught classes remotely.  Power outages were beginning; I was emailed by a third grade class in the afternoon to join their Google Meet as their adult moderator, because their teacher lost power in the middle of their Kahoot and disappeared.  We talked about geometric shapes, Paris, stuffed animals, books, and the weather until the end of the school day.  At home, we still had power, internet, and running water.

Saturday, February 13th through Monday, February 15th:  Freezing rain, ice, then snow--more consecutive winter events than I've ever seen in my thirty-plus years in Austin.  Our scheduled staff development was turned topsy-turvy; teachers were given time to plan what looked like a week ahead of virtual learning.  More power outages being reported.  I started checking on friends to make sure they were okay.

Tuesday, February 16th:  We lost internet.  We were supposed to have another day of staff development.  I attended the first meeting of the day via phone, to find out that all district business was cancelled for the day.  My husband and I went for a walk in the snow, thankful that we still had heat and water and food in the house.  We received an email later in the day that said classes were canceled through Thursday. 

Wednesday, February 17th:  I made a big pot of ham and bean soup that was finished just before our water ran out in the neighborhood.  We hadn't filled the tub or saved any water, thinking our pipes were fine, not thinking beyond that.  My husband started collecting snow; we formed a two-person bucket brigade as he handed the loaded containers to me at the door to dump into the bathtub.  He spent the better part of the evening melting, straining, and boiling it to use for quick sponge bathing and washing dishes.  We made a "camp potty" out of black plastic bags and paper towels in our toilet (a lesson learned from a previous plumbing issue) so that we could conserve water for other uses.  Classes are canceled for the week; there are too many staff and students without power and water to run even remote learning.

Thursday, February 18th:  My husband continues to gather snow to melt.  One last snow plus ice storm this evening.  Still without internet or water, but thankful for phone data, heat, and food in the pantry.

Friday, February 19th:  The thaw after the storms begins.  Internet service has returned, and my husband returned to work.  I harvested the ice off the top of the snow for over an hour before it disappeared, collecting about four gallons' worth once it was melted down.  Sponge bathing is fine, but I am really, really missing a good hair wash.

Saturday, February 20th:  So many reports of busted pipes and continued water shortages all around; most of those who have water are being told to boil it before consumption.  My husband takes advantage of water distribution at my school while I participated in an online training.  I think the continuous heat in our home saved our pipes, though we won't know for sure until we get running water.  By evening, the district had announced that we would be closed through Tuesday for repairs; there were at least seventy issues throughout the district, including one entire floor flooded at a middle school.

Sunday, February 21st:  The water is flowing again!  We are also under a boil water notice. I am able to take a hot shower before getting my second Moderna COVID shot, which thankfully was not rescheduled due to the weather.  We ordered takeout from our favorite Mexican restaurant on the way home.  I started to feel the side effects of the vaccination by the afternoon.

Monday, February 22nd:  I am laid low by the vaccination side effects, so I'm glad we have the day off.  I am able to chair an online meeting by the evening, where we spend most of our time just checking in with members who were able to get online.  Some are still without water, went days without power, are dealing with busted pipes.  I assured everyone that taking care of personal and professional business was the priority of the week; our committee business could wait.

And we have arrived at today.  I overslept this morning, a bad habit picked up over these unexpected days off, and rushed to work for an allotted half hour to gather supplies in case we go virtual for the rest of the week.  We have been doing our best to conserve water so that there's enough to go around, but I will have to do some laundry today.  I'm still a bit nauseous and fatigued from the shot, but feeling good enough to prepare for the week ahead.

Discombobulated is definitely the feeling of the day, week, month; it's like 2020 just won't let go!  

 

Tuesday Slice: All thumbs

This is a first for me: a Tuesday Slice written on my phone. We are smack dab in the middle of a winter event here in Central Texas; freezing temps for the highs since last Thursday,  six inches of drifting snow yesterday,  and still in the single digits in many areas (last check put us at 10 degrees, whew!). We are among the lucky half of the city that has power and water...but apparently lost the blessing of internet service this morning, which does not bode well for reporting to work remotely today. So this will be a short and sweet post typed out by thumbs, possibly edited later in the day should our internet decide to bless us with service once again. 

Tuesday Slice: Making a list, asking a question

I decided to use my morning page constructively today, and dedicated a part of it to making a list of thirty ideas to write about for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. I may have tried this in the past; it will be my ninth attempt at the SOLSC, and who remembers what I tried nine years ago, though I can attest that I'm almost always a seat-of-the-pants Slicer. The idea of having a plan for my writing after so many years of just winging it almost seems constrictive; it wouldn't surprise me if I just threw out the whole list a week into March.  The comfort of knowing I don't have to wait for my Muse to whisper in my ear each day is enticing, however.

Here's the thing I struggle with, and I'm hoping you fellow Tuesday Slicers can help me out:  I wrestle with "I" writing, especially during the challenge.  I start to feel narcissistic, even when I know that this is the "Slice of LIFE" challenge, and writers write from experience.  Just looking at all the "I" statements in this post makes me cringe a bit!  The feeling makes me want to slip into third person, become the observer instead of the participant.  At the same time, I know there is power in telling one's story, and my most effective pieces, the ones that speak the most to others, are my most personal posts.

So, fellow Slicers, do you feel the same sometimes? If so, how do you work around that feeling during the SOLSC?  

Tuesday Slice: The ta-da list

 

I am an approval seeker.  I've known that about myself since elementary school, where my rule following ways often got me labeled as the teacher's pet.  The epithets hurt, but were overshadowed by the praise I received from adults.

Yesterday was an asynchronous planning day; all students worked remotely from home to give teachers a chance to meet and plan and attempt to get a handle on hybrid teaching (read:  twice as much work), the model for most of our classrooms at the moment.  Our principal gave us a choice board model that we could fill in with our tasks to help us focus, so of course I made one for the library, filling it with tasks for myself and my assistant.  

Bear in mind that I knew we wouldn't get to all of it; we have two more asynchronous days plus scheduled work days, and I told my principal this list would take us through the rest of the semester.  

My assistant was busy all day with circulation and inventory, and did a bit of weeding, too.  I looked at my checkmarks at the end of the day, and felt a bit disappointed in myself.  So then I started listing all the stuff I did in between those check marks:

ordered some ebooks requested by a teacher, looked up resources for Black History Month and why professional gamers need to be able to read, looked unsuccessfully for 4 operation calculators, made a slide for my Fairy Tale Digital Breakout lesson, chatted with the parent support specialist about providing books to our students, attended a library association committee meeting with my promotions subcommittee, pulled books to promote with classes this week, emailed back and forth with the a library district chair to promote our conference event....

And I shared it with my principal, approval-seeker that I am.  And she gave me kudos, the equivalent of a grownup gold star.

The next time you are feeling like you haven't done what you needed to by the end of the day, pause and write down what you DID do.  As educators, we are great at pointing out our students' successes, often not so great at celebrating our own.  I bet your ta-da list will be a lot longer than you think.