6:30am: The sky’s awake, so I’m awake! Not quite. More like: the garbage truck’s awake, so I’m awake. Grumpy, I reach over to my nightstand, grabbing my phone to check the time. I wearily open the text from Vital Check, Great Oaks’ telehealth provider, and answer the COVID-19 screening survey. Luckily, I have not shown any symptoms or had close contact with anyone who has, so I click “No to all above”. I toss my phone and pull the covers over my head, half-asleep and half-listening-for-the-sound-of-the-bathroom-door-to-open. With three roommates and one bathroom, I have to be ready to pounce when the bathroom is vacant.
6:49am: By instinct, my body’s internal clock rouses me from my half-conscious state seconds before my alarm is set to go off. Thank god! My alarm sound is just the worst sound in the world. While I wait for the bathroom to empty, I open the New York Times app. My first order of business is to complete the Daily Mini crossword. I need a moment of fun before I am inundated with the news. I can usually finish the puzzle in less than a minute, but on days when I don’t, I make a mental note to make my coffee a bit stronger. Reluctantly, I pull up the Morning Briefing and scan the news. Exhausted, I inhale the good and exhale the bad. Ready for a new day.
7:05am: I roll out of bed, wincing as my bare feet touch the cold floor. I slip on my slippers and head to the bathroom, hoping no one tries to talk to me before I have my coffee. Once I’m dressed work-from-home-style (business on the top, party on the bottom), I make my way to the kitchen. COFFEE!!! With my breakfast (usually some yogurt and granola or oatmeal), I take Vitamin D, something I started doing back in March during the beginning of lockdown. Now that the sun sets at 4:30pm, before the end of my workday, I rarely see the sun. Good thing I’m a vampire!
7:25am: By now, I’m at my makeshift desk in the living room. I try to keep my desk as neat as possible to create some sort of calm amidst the chaos that is 2020. I flip to a new page in my notebook and write a list of all the things I need to do today. Starting my laptop, I begin the daunting task of opening up all the important tabs. This is the life of an online teacher. The first of my to-do’s is to attend any morning huddle meetings. In these meetings, our Corps Manager, Ms. McFarlane, gives us updates and words of encouragement, trying to give us the energy we need to get through the day. Another urgent morning task is to check the math homework report on ALEKS. As the 6th grade math TA, I collect homework data for the school.
8:15: I imagine the school bell ringing as I log into Zoom for homeroom. The 6.2 scholars slowly but surely join the meeting. After I’ve taken attendance and called any parents, I tune into the Leader in Me discussions. I’m always impressed with the scholars’ insights into leadership and current events. My favorite discussion thus far has been about failure – I often find myself referencing the quote “failure is a bruise, not a tattoo,” when mentoring my scholars.
8:55am: First period has begun, and I log into math class. For those 60 minutes, I monitor the chat, student participation, and behavior. In my master excel sheet, I grade students on their completion of the class packets, which I’ll later input into the grade book. While being Mr. Velasquez’s eyes and ears, I also follow along with the lesson, so that I can help later when we’re split into breakout rooms. One of many perks of being the math TA is that I can watch how Mr. Velasquez teaches the material. This gives me a leg up in tutorial because I can reference his lessons, use consistent language, and address misconceptions from class.
10:05: I have three tutorial groups that I meet with throughout the week. My scholars are the BEST, hands down. For the bulk of the period, we continue the lessons from math class, working together and modeling questions on the virtual whiteboard. I carve out the last five minutes of tutorial to play a game with my students and build community. Their favorite game this year is… you guessed it: Among Us. Somehow, I am always the Impostor, and a terrible one might I add, which my students find hilarious. While I teach them fractions, they teach me Among Us – it’s a give and take. I’ll often get an after-school email or text from them that says: R U FREE TO PLAY??? I respond: R U FREE TO STUDY???
12:15: My stomach grumbles right on time. Convening in the kitchen, my roommates and I whip up some lunch. We only have 30 minutes until our next class, so we usually reheat some leftovers and share stories from our mornings. The break flies by, and in no time, we are back at our respective desks, preparing for the next class or meeting.
2:00: Talk about afternoon slump! Ugh! This period always feels the longest, but we’re also motivated by the approaching end of the school day. When I don’t have tutorials, I provide in-class support for math intervention. During math intervention, scholars log into ALEKS and build up their math skills. Before dismissing scholars, Mr. Velasquez always does his sign off: stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe, stay blessed, stay six feet apart, but most importantly stay fly!
3:00: Directly after classes let out, I usually have a meeting to attend. On Monday’s and Wednesday’s, I go to Power Up to help students with their homework assignments. My days are consumed by math, so I enjoy the change of pace when scholars ask for help on their ELA or science assignments. The 6th graders love the Goosebumps series as much as I loved Harry Potter at their age, so we often spend the hour reading together.
4:00: In my last hour, I plan lessons for the upcoming weeks. Planning consists of reading through the objectives and key points, solving upwards of 30 math problems, and creating a script of “Check For Understanding” questions specific to each scholar. Differentiation of instruction is one of Great Oaks’s values, so I do my best to meet each scholar where they are by asking the right questions. When I’m not experiencing Zoom fatigue, I join the other 6th grade fellows on a Zoom call to work through the plans. We compare answers, brainstorm ideas for questions, and share any content-related misconceptions we have seen in recent tutorials. We have a lot of fun together, but I look forward to the day when we can finally meet in person.
5:00: Around this time my scholars’ parents are leaving work, so I call hoping to catch them on their commute home. During our weekly phone calls, I update parents on their scholar’s academic performance and gain insights into the scholar’s motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. I’ve had great conversations with parents and appreciate how involved they are in their child’s education. One perk that I did not expect when accepting this job is that I get to practice my spanish with some parents. ¡Que chulo!
5:30: My work days end shortly after 5pm. In an attempt to prevent work from taking over my entire life, I shut down my laptop and step away from my desk. After ten hours of sitting, I am anxious to get moving. On most days, I lay out my yoga mat and choose a yoga workout from the Peloton app. Before daylight savings, I would watch the sunset from my window as I moved through a series of sun salutations.
6:30: I head to the kitchen and open the refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets, considering my options. If I haven’t yet used up all of my Nonna’s famous pesto, I quickly decide on pesto pasta with mushrooms and broccoli. I’m not much of a cook, but I’ve picked up some of our traditional family recipes over the years. Baking, on the other hand, is more my cup of tea. When I bake, I’m brought back to the chemistry labs, where I spent most of my college career measuring out chemicals and watching reactions with bated breath. The only difference is now I can use my sense of taste!
7:30: Stuffed, I look at the clock: 7:30. NOOOO! The days feel endless when you’re stuck at home. I try my best to entertain myself, but despite months of practice, I cannot shake the monotony, boredom, and impatience. When will this end? I turn to my distractions: books, Nintendo Switch, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, board games, social media, music, podcasts, journalism. Reflecting on my need for a change of scenery, I call home. I’m grateful that my parents live nearby and are happy to drive me to and from Newark whenever I need to stock up on groceries or cuddle with my dog, Flo.
9:30: Around this time, I begin getting ready for bed. Despite my better judgement, I stare at a screen until the clock strikes 10. My brain feels too stimulated to sleep, but I know there’s a big day ahead of me, so I close my eyes and count sheep.
What Erin Walicki is from New Jersey and graduated from Hamilton College in May 2020 with a B.A. in chemistry and Hispanic studies. She plans to enter the field of public health and return to school at some point for a masters in epidemiology and biostatistics. Later in life, she hopes to become a high school chemistry teacher, as this year at Great Oaks has solidified her desire to teach.
Education Fellows 