“Question” was the subject line of an email from my previous administrator. I opened up the email and encountered an interesting opportunity to rejoin the teaching field, as a remote teacher. I explored the possibility of this opportunity in long talks with my partner. One of the biggest questions surrounding taking on this role would be childcare. So, I made it clear that my teaching remotely comes with my kids in the room. Fortunately, the job only consists of a three hour commitment and only one hour of actual teaching time. Let the adventure begin!
Being Mom and Mrs. Coomer has come with some interesting event.
The first day: Class is going to start in an hour and I have already had to change my shirt twice. The first time was due to my forgetfulness of not putting my nursing pads in. The second was because because of baby spit up all down the front. But the baby is fed and should be content through most of class. I look at the clock and figure I have enough time to snuggle Timmy and lull him into a nap. Timmy lays his little head onto my shoulder and starts to twirl his hair, a sign that he is getting his little mind ready to take a nap. I can feel the weight of his body slowly start to sink into my arms. His arms drops and I gentle lift him into the air and cradle him into his tiny toddler bed. His breathing remains calm and shallow, he is napping. Today was an easy one. With one child off to dreamland, I can now direct my attention to prepping my computer for class. The tabs are open and I looked to the small clock on the computer. Enough time to use the bathroom, get my self something to drink and get my sweet baby girl settled to allow me to give my attention to my students. I am not going to get lucky enough to get both of the kids napping for the first nap, but maybe during the break between I can get Violet sleeping. Class begins and I slip into my teacher mind and voice, while bouncing Violet on my knee. She coos softly, but loud enough for it to be picked up on the microphone. The class coos back, and we continue on with the lesson. Before I know it, the alarm on my phone starts to sound to remind me to wrap up. I have made it through 1st period. One to go. I look down in my lap and see Violet has slumped into a nap. I whisk her off to her crib and take a deep breath. Timmy is still asleep and I have a fifteen minutes to regroup my thoughts, shovel some food into my mouth, refill my water cup, and get ready for class number two. The twenty minutes between the two classes expires and I open up the next Zoom meeting to greet the next class. The student slowly shuffle into the class and we begin. I hear the happy little playful yips of Timmy at his door, awake and ready to play. I get the students instructions to do a minute thinking and writing activity and jump up to get Timmy. Fortunately, Timmy easily settles into the living room and I can turn my attention back to class. The students share their answers and we move into the next activity. Again, the alarm on my phone rings and I am wrapping up class number two, just as I start to hear Violet stirring in her crib. I sign off the Zoom and am filled with the well known rush of a good day of teaching. I float into the bedroom to pick up my smiling girl and return to the world of being Mom.
Not all the days played out as smoothly. This past week my two year old has decided that naps are just not on the agenda anymore. So, I keep the TV remote next to my desk to skip the adds on his favorite car themed YouTube videos playing on the tv in the living room to try and avoid a tired tantrum.
Once, when I looked away for a moment to read a student's answers on a document through google classroom and Timmy moved one of his tiny chairs from his activity table to the middle of the room and he apparently decided to practice his best balancing act for his circus performance he most definitely will be presenting later. Yes, you should move that sentence from box one to, Get down from there.
A student asks over Zoom, "Mrs. Coomer can you mute yourself, Violet is being distracting while we are trying to write."
Timmy comes over to me to just give his momma a hug and slowly drops to the floor and before I know if he hits the power strip button that turned off the computer and internet in the middle of class. Nothing I can do but wait for everything to reset and reload, which is a minimum of five minutes.
One afternoon during my second class I can't find a burp cloth and Violet is spitting up on her shirt and my shirt. I look at the clock and debate whether it was worth changing now or in between classes.
I hand out snacks and drinks to Timmy, and stand up to bounce the now ever wiggling six month old.
Then I get to the break between classes. I try to gauge how much I can realistically get done during that time. First task is management of nursing and attempting to put one or both of the kids down for naps. Did we eat lunch? Yes, I made Timmy a PB&J. Did I eat lunch? No. And that is why my tummy is grumbling. Still, when I am wrapping up for the day, my students take the opportunity to come and thank me for teaching them that day.
Yesterday, Violet went down for a nap a half hour before classes start and woke up ten minutes before my last class ended. So, I get major wins here and there.
The biggest win happens most days when I sign off for the day, I get a “Oh hiya, mom-mom” from my sweet cherub faced little boy. Oh hiya, Timmy. Let’s play.
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