Getting into the school-working at home routine now which is good if not intense! Reminded again about how much you can achieve with a concentrated block of time at your desk during the day. I got around to restarting my professional development time which was great for catching up on goals, reading I needed to do and planning for teaching next term as well as progressing some projects.
I’m building in a short walk with Coco in the forest each day too. Again just 20 minutes or so makes me feel reconnected to nature and freshens me up after hours on Teams or Zoom. Was reminded in many different, and unfortunately not all positive, ways this week about how different online meetings are both in intensity and in the comments/reactions of participants towards each other. In many cases they are positive through us learning more about each other’s lives, for example who has cats that like to sit on laptops etc, or hearing different voices as some people feel more able to contribute in online meetings. However, sometimes I think people forget they are online and that there are real people at the end of the computer who may react more strongly to comments that anticipated. It can be hard and I am trying to show more compassion.
Also enjoying taking lunch breaks with my co-worker, aka Mike, to do exciting things like order new rugs and treating ourselves to brunch on a Friday 🙂 . Sounds dull but actually we have so little uninterrupted time that just 20 mins chatting about some mundane domestic item is quite a luxury. And we get stuff done faster.
In other news, we finally all got our Covid-19 tests, no news so assume they are negative. No vouchers yet though ….. And the new chicken is settling in well. Have decided that I really want a “proper”/larger dog and made the mistake of saying this to the children. Now ALL the conversations are about dogs. Ooops.
Restarted “Mummy Time” last weekend with Sylvia which mainly involved running errands like getting her new blazer and then cooking her lunch although she seemed happy and was lovely to spend some 1 on 1 time with her.
Excitement of excitements we actually went O.U.T on Friday night for Mike’s birthday – long taxi ride to South London and back. Not sure I love sitting in a cab for 90 mins with a mask on after a curry BUT am not complaining as it was lovely to be with Mike’s family – not been with 4 other adults since er March I think……Had mixed post-school afternoons with the children. Tuesday was horrendous with everyone tired and whiny, Thursday was a joy with a long conversation with Sylvia about slaving, women’s rights and then explaining the problems of the electoral system, whilst the others happily painted stones and made cards for Mike. I even did some painting too, very therapeutic. I should really be thankful to Baker Ross for the craft box that prompted this joyous scene – I’m tempted to do an order every week!!