Learning Under COVID-19

A year ago COVID-19 didn't even exist, so the fact that practically the entire world's school-aged children were sent home for month on end is an indicator of just how much the world has changed during this academic year. The stories started from the east, and gradually moved westward as the pandemic spread and millions were affected directly. As we write this post the numbers worldwide continue to go up, travel is severely restricted, our school (not ended for the year) finished off the year with nearly four months of online learning and our girls have moved up a grade through internet-based assignments, class meetings, projects, etc. It's a surreal world, to say the least. 

The biggest challenge, of course, was not being able to see our friends on a regular basis. For those friends leaving the face-to-face goodbyes had to happen, unexpectedly, three or four months ahead of schedule. Life's experience became smaller (for much time we were confined only to our home) but also broader (our connection to the internet was our much-needed link to those -friends and family - around the world). Friendship became more structured with social events needing pre-planning and social experiences being viewed through tiled boxes. Over time the girls learned to be learners and mommy and daddy learned to be educators, learners, home-learning experts, balancers of all life, it seemed. 

But our girls truly blossomed, though with any chance they get all they want to do is be around people. Their work was well done, complete and the independent nature of online learning was something they dealt with more easily than we would have expected. Organized, focused, asking appropriate questions and getting support when needed, they just moved along as if this change was something that didn't ruffle too many feathers. 

By the end of the year - mid June - they were done, though. We had hoped to head off to some other country for the summer but tickets were cancelled and restrictions not quite lifted soon enough. Colombia remains closed. Greece is opening, but not to UAE residents just yet. The US of open but there is no motivation to head in that direction at the moment. So we wait. In truth, we are happy to have our health and each other. But we wait. 

A Father's Day Special

Father's Days are pretty awesome! In this case, by the time daddy woke up he realized that no one was asleep, but he could hear sounds and voices from downstairs. He moved groggily down the steps toward the sounds of family, only to find the kitchen door, behind which the rest of the family was operating, closed. In trying to open it he found resistance from the other side and then a face - Irini's - telling him to "go back to bed". It was a friendly sort of directive and he thought there must me something behind this, so he followed directions. 

Back up the steps he went and scuffled over and dropped right in, thinking he'd probably go back to sleep for a short while. But it was only a couple minutes later than the gang appeared, breakfast in hand, to offer him an absolutely yummy breakfast of toast, scrambled eggs and a mug of coffee. But the best part were hand written cards from the girls and, of course, hugs and lots and lots of love!  The food was downed pretty quickly as soon as the cards were read and requisite appreciation shown. Love is definitely in the air around these parts!

Then, as a bit of a bonus, we were off to our friends house - Maryam, John, Arian and Eva. We're created a sort of a 'bubble' (as they call them in the UK) between our two families to ensure that we have some social connection but without the extra medical risks involved. At their house, as is most always the case, we found friendship and good company and amazing food!  We stayed for a while, eating, drinking, celebrating fathers and family, and then headed back home. 

It's such a wonderful feeling to have the love that makes the little important things tick. Love to surprise. Love to create. Love to appreciate. Love to support. It takes all sorts of love, and it's all well present in our family!

Home-Bound Creative Outlet

For a while there we were struggling to work out what to do while in lock-down. As the world outside was told to "stay in your home" and we followed directions we also found ourselves challenged with the options. Thankfully we took the opportunity to go "creative" both as a brain break from assignments and as a way of getting off the computer screens. The girls, in no particularl order, worked on a variety of projects but it was the most colorful ones that they chose to share with the rest of the family. And so, as they created, we kept adding to the list of amazing learning and growth that, as teachers, we like to celebrate. But it wasn't all painting and drawing. It was also little playful twists, like the "in a cup" photo above, which Amalia made to share with her class. Cool, right?