Normally, I’m in school, sat behind my desk by 7.10am every morning. My partner teacher (Mrs. Hopkins – maths leader and all-round legend) is in by 7.40am and we take the day head on; we are a great team. But, my job is anything but normal now! 

On March 20th, schools closed and since then, my job has been very different. The days leading up to school closures and for a few days after, I spent my time with a group of teachers from my school, Co-op Academy Woodlands, driving round the local estates delivering learning packs through the letter boxes of our families’ houses.

I really enjoyed it – being able to see first hand where my children live was eye-opening. Row after row of terraced, back-to-back houses full of families, some totally unaware of the pandemic that would rapidly change the world and how we live.

Daily video hangouts with Mrs. Hopkins starts each day and we set the online work for our children (while catching up of course! Mrs. H and I work really well together and are very, very productive – and proud of it!) 

https://twitter.com/Mr_Trower/status/1252153929208659969

After that, we fill the time catching up on those odd jobs that teachers don’t get time to do; this week we read an updated version of our safeguarding and child protection policy! Time flies and before we know it, it’s 2 pm! I log off and read for an hour – time to switch off my brain!

I look after our school’s social media @CoopWoodlands (I love this sort of thing!) This week we posted a video from staff members for our children to tell them how much we miss them. 

To all the children at Woodlands, we have a message for you…#StaySafe #StayHome #ShowYouCare pic.twitter.com/7gTGKMm3SS

— Co-op Academy Woodlands (@coopwoodlands) April 27, 2020

 

We also started a ‘guess who’ using baby pictures of staff.

https://twitter.com/coopwoodlands/status/1254847063575101441

 

Each week we call every family of the children in our class and discuss how they are with questions like ‘Have you managed to get on to Google Classrooms?’ or ‘How is your child getting on with their learning at home?’ The question that I feel most anxious about asking is ‘How are your family doing for food?’ 

‘Is there anything else I can do for this family?’ I ask myself before I say my goodbyes until I call next week.

Once a week, we also have an online hangout with all of the teachers and our Headteacher. I love my colleagues – they are a lively bunch who are incredibly supportive and have the children’s interest at the centre of all they do. 

Currently, I am in school looking after vulnerable and key worker’s children once a week. I love this day – it breaks up my time at home and I get to see people! Our teachers have an optional hangout on a Thursday evening (with wine for me!) to plan what we are going to do in school. A week of dinosaurs, the Ancient Greeks, Roald Dahl or space – the world is our oyster! 

 

When not working, I spend time with my partner – he is working full time from home too and keeps me sane! He is brilliant. I have amazing friends and family so I can’t complain.

I’m getting to grips with my new normal: trying to be kinder to myself; understanding that this is not how we normally work; talking when I need to get something off my chest and making sure I have time to switch off. This ‘new normal’ won’t be forever.

You can find me on Twitter @Mr_Trower.