Life in England has suddenly become so quiet. There are hardly any cars on the road, the children are no longer in school and the majority of adults are working from home or not working at all.
Before the pandemic, I was a trainee teacher who had taken up a 50% teaching timetable (this was increasing week by week). Every week I was attending professional development courses, joining meetings, tutoring outside of school and also spending a day in University. Life was very busy, but I liked it this way!
When our prime minister decided to shut schools, life became very calm for me. My school decided that they would run a learn-from-home programme through Google Classroom for all of our pupils and now, I spend my time sat at home uploading resources and replying to comments/emails. Of course, many of us have worries that we will not be prepared to start teaching in September due to lack of experience on the job. I personally worry that I will struggle to balance my time. Despite being a very organised person, I can't help but think the increased teaching timetable, along with marking and inputting data may seem a lot to balance. To avoid this, I am trying to take on as many tasks as I can and remain busy throughout quarentine. Currently, I follow a daily exercise routine which includes: workout, uni work, google classroom, CPD, reading, dinner, more google classroom and more CPD. Also, I wonder what if I have forgotten how to teach? Will September feel like that first lesson all over again?
It has been clarified to us all that despite COVID-19, we will still be able to recieve our QTS this summer (Qualified Teacher Status). However, our universities have set us a weekly timetable of activities to follow which will serve as evidence for our School Experience Files and achievment of the teaching standards. Of course, nothing is the same as being in the classroom, and many of us can't help but feel that these long-winded assignments based around pedagogy and reflection will not be useful when back in the real world.
Throughout isolation in my home, I have found that having a daily routine has helped to maintain a positive mindset. For me, the most important thing is to wake up and do some exercise and get some fresh air before anything else. During this time, I am able to focus on myself and reflect upon what I want to achieve throughout the day - no matter how small. Whether it is baking a cake, binge-watching a show on Netflix or doing a food shop, we must remain grateful for what we have and the small things which provide us with happiness.