Classroom or bust

Tomorrow is the day. Sort of. Since 23rd March I have not been in a classroom and delivered a proper lesson. The same is true of many teachers around the world. That will not change tomorrow but it's the first step towards a return to normality. Of course we are still in quarantine, it is more a return to the new normal that we left behind at the end of July.

This week is CPD week. In the UK we would have spent a day or two right at the end of August or more likely the begining of September topping up our training and preparing our classrooms. Here in the UAE things finished a little earlier so they start back up a little earlier. Students will return on the 30th but we still have this week to get our heads in the game.

Tomorrow we will start with the first of many online CPD and induction sessions. We should be doing this in person, all be it socially distanced but because of our late arrival changes have got to made. Freedom comes on Thursday which will give us one whole day ever in our new school building before students come trundling through the doors. By doors I obviously mean, google meets invitation links. For secondary staff our next step back towards a normal life will not happen for another 4 weeks. For primary it'll happen right away but with some tricky caveats. Either way we are both feeling rather out on a limb at the moment. This time last year I was probably having a whole series of feelings towards the new year but none of them where "I don't feel ready for this".

Still, at least some things never change. I have a lesson on how to use Google Classroom tomorrow to look forward to.

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