Editorial Staff Managing Editor Rob Walker Editor Giovanna Bechard Layout Design Shawn Berry Leadership President Grace Leavitt Vice President Jesse Hargrove Treasurer Beth French NEA Director Rebecca Cole Board of Directors District A Robert "Bo" Zabierek District B Suzen Polk-Hoffses District C N/A District D Cedena McAvoy District E Ken Williams District F Janice Murphy District G Nancy Mitchell District H Dennis Boyd District I N/A District J Amy O'Brien-Brown District K Tom Walsh District L Rebecca Manchester District M Donna Longley District O Lisa Leduc District P Dina Goodwin Disrtict R Gary McGrane District ESP Gerry French Student MEA N/A Maine Educator (ISSN #1069-1235) is published by: Maine Education Association 35 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330-8005 207-622-4418; fax 207-623-2129 POSTMASTER: send address changes to: Maine Educator 35 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine 04330-8005
E D I TO R ' S N OT E - N O V E M B E R 2020
Eat ALL the Donuts
am not sure if I've gained the "quarantine 15" but I feel like I'm on my way. I started out great. I joined a popular workout subscription group, did a couple of those 21-day things and felt like I was on the right path to staying healthy and sane, despite the chaotic surroundings. I don't know about any of you-but I'm having a hard time keeping track of everything. I keep asking myself the same questions: Did I wash that mask yet? Are the water bottles clean? No, not those water bottles but the ones with the non-exposed lids so the virus that may be in the air doesn't potentially get on the part where they drink-those ones, are they clean? Is today the day my older son has his virtual viola lesson?
I
Now that we're a little bit into this year, I finally have a bit of a system (although I'm not sure it's helping much) where I have a set calendar to organize my children's schedules, my work schedule, and I have bags that are labeled "clean mask" and another that says "dirty mask." My kids also carry a bag that's full of wipes so they can clean their own desks, just in case. Even with that, there is still just so
much to remember. Just this morning we ran out to the car because we had four minutes to get to school. I was in my slippers and my teeth weren't brushed. This is not a proud moment, as I like to think I have this pandemic life under control. But I don't. I'm a hot mess. It's a routine dumpster fire in our home. That exercise plan I was into-now it's just a donation to the online service because it doesn't really get used. Instead, I ate a donut today because it's just a bit more in line with how this is all going for us. Yet, somehow, my kids seem okay. They're still smiling and they're happy. I attribute a lot of this to their amazing schools and the ability to connect with their teachers and friends. Both my boys absolutely love going to school. When they come home from their in-school days, I hear the stories of what they learned, and then I also hear how the teacher made sure they all used hand sanitizer. I hear about the great outdoor learning spaces and about the shadow tag my youngest is playing. I hear about the fun my older son is having trying soccer at middle school. I hear the excitement in his voice when he talks about using a triple beam balance for the first time in science class. I hear the loudness in my younger son's voice when he tells me he learned in music class what forte means in Italian. There are so many positive things happening in our schools, despite the on-going struggles. I realize every district is different, as we've heard from so many members since buildings re-opened. MEA continues to support our members and wants to know if proper safety protocols are not followed. There is also a great understanding of the workload issue this pandemic has brought upon. These are ongoing issues the MEA continues to address. You can read more about how things are going across Maine on pages 12 to 17. If you need support, please remember to contact MEA. We're here to help. And eat all the donutsbecause in the moment, at least for me, it seems to help. Contact Us: maineea.org/contact-us/
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Giovanna Bechard Editor editor@maineea.org
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November 2020 • www.maineea.org
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