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Pandemic Perspective




Our son, graduated early from high school this year and was sworn into the Marines by his dad, a Lieutenant in the Navy. This Friday he graduates from Marine boot camp as a United States Marine! OORAH. This amazing accomplishment is something families are not allowed to attend due to the pandemic, which is heartbreaking and spirit-crushing. However, we remain focused on the positives, as this does not change his goal one bit. His training continues albeit some new requirements and restrictions, but the military teaches you to adapt and overcome. As a military family, we use the term Semper Gumby, which means always flexible! We are well-versed in embracing change as an opportunity for growth, so we are looking at the pandemic as a way to improve our perspective moving forward.
Our two daughters are also learning to adapt to this new normal. This next year will be our oldest daughter's senior year and I wonder about the impact this pandemic will have on her high school experience. However, she has come to LOVE online learning and is ready to go to online school full-time. She is taking dual-credit classes so the college is allowing them to work online to finish the year. The high school has activities posted by teachers weekly and she is enjoying working at her own pace and getting them completed. We are actually exploring dual enrollment or online education for next year now. She really wants to graduate early and go to the Navy or Air Force. So, we are looking at options that may not have been considered prior to the shutdown.

Our youngest will be in 8th grade and thinks this online learning thing is amazing. She gets up to her alarm at 9 am each day, completes her assignments by noon. Then she reads in the afternoon, and we have great conversations about the things she wants to explore deeper for her assignments tomorrow. Yesterday, we had a great debate about the type of music the Greasers in The Outsiders by Hinton, would listen to. We listened to music on YouTube from that era and analyzed the lyrics from bands in the 60s. She is our musician and loves to sing and dance, so this exploration was one that she really loved.
It is amazing to experience firsthand the learning that can transpire even in the midst of a crisis. It is exhilarating to think about what education can look like after this pandemic, which has forced everyone to see the world from a new perspective.

I am building online employability and character skills training for 80 special education academy staff in California and a character leadership program for the YMCAs in Michigan. These were clients I was serving prior to the outbreak and were supposed to be taught in person this summer. However, now I am learning valuable skills and gathering ideas about what works and does not work in an online educational environment. Even though I love building relationships in person, I am discovering ways to connect and engage in an alternative environment. I am sure a lot of educators are learning new tools and tricks and they are engaging in a way that they might have been too busy or afraid to explore before.
I believe this pandemic will allow for us to shake up the way we have always done things to see the world of education from a brand new perspective. I am excited to see the amazing learning opportunities that are on the horizon, and encourage all my fellow educators to embrace the phrase, Semper Gumby!

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