He Went Back “To School.”
Today is the first day of school for Shane.
Everything is virtual for the entire semester. Thank you, Governor of Maryland and public school system, for keeping our children – and our teachers – safe and healthy.
We picked up Shane’s Chromebook last week, and we’d checked out his schedule then, too.
So today, Shane was ready to go. He got up, showered, ate breakfast, and was relaxing in his room when I found him for his First Day photo. Then he wandered down the hall with his Chromebook two minutes before his first class.
I was excited to see a bright smile on his teacher’s face as he logged in – and just before Shane threw me out of the room.
Later, I found out that the teacher I saw – the one teacher I saw – was actually the interpreter for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Sigh. I technically didn’t “see” any of his teachers at all – and who knows if his first period teacher was even smiling?
I didn’t hear from Shane for an hour. By second period, I figured he didn’t need my help, so I took the dog for a walk. I didn’t have pockets, so I left my phone at home.
I came home to this text message:
I’m having some serious connection problems can someone help
Thinking, as usual, that I’m a terrible mother for leaving my son, I raced upstairs. Shane wasn’t where I’d left him!
I found him in his bedroom, sitting in a spider-web chair that he loves (but that seems tremendously uncomfortable).
“Are you okay?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t too late to be helpful.
Shane didn’t move his eyes from the screen. (He wants to always be paying attention.) “It’s fine now,” he said, barely moving his lips.
“Okay, well let me know if I can do anything,” I whispered.
I went back downstairs, defeated.
The next “class” was lunch.
Last week, I was excited to make Shane’s lunch during school – but Shane said, “I’ve been making my own breakfast and lunch for six months. Why don’t I see if I can just make my own lunches?”
In other words, Shane doesn’t want me to make food for him. So I didn’t. I encouraged him to eat on the porch, rather than in front of a TV or computer screen – which he did.
With his phone.
Then he went back “to school,” where he had the same teacher for both of his afternoon classes. Fortunately he already knows (and loves) the teacher, so he had a somewhat fun afternoon.
As always, Shane has zero friends in his classes. Since middle school, when they started switching classes, Shane’s friends have somehow always been in other classes. And every year, he makes a new friend or two – then those friends aren’t in his classes the following semester.
It’s a conundrum.
Still – Shane likes his teachers, and he’s happy with Day 1 of his new virtual schedule.
Truly, during a pandemic with the whole world upside down, this is the best it can be.