Things are looking...

 Good morning, y'all, and Happy Saturday. We made it through our first "real" virtual schooling week in Nashville's MNPS and things are looking:

1. Hopeful
2. Complicated
3. Confusing
4. Inequitable

Hopeful, because I'm not only characteristically optimistic (my avatar name in many 3D platforms includes the name "Optomystic"), but I feel proud of the steps my public school district has taken toward reaching its mission of providing "a great public education to every student, every day."   It is crystal clear that the capable leaders of our district, in both administrative and technological arenas, have brainstormed vigorously and have arrived at the best ways we can carry on with that vision given the circumstances of the times. They have also demonstrated enlightened oversight based on the science of the pandemic. We are fully virtual and though a decision will be made by September 7 whether we will continue that for the foreseeable future, I am hopeful based on current evidence that we will. 

Complicated, because we were not ready for this and are making up for lost preparation time in the deep middle of the public health crisis. Back in 2010, I left a darned good career at a wonderful independent K-12 school to research, create, and make accredited and sustainable the first public online school in Tennessee, MNPS Virtual School. The story of why my job position was "eliminated" is complicated in itself, but pertinent here is that my own vision for the school envisioned that by now, in 2020, the MNPS Virtual School would be serving thousands of students enrolled full-time. That never happened. According to the best information I can get, the school is still serving just a handful of students. Serving them well, I am sure, but not serving many.

Now, pan forward to this school year, where students are issued Dell laptops by drive-up school pickup, along with, if requested, T-Mobile hotspot devices for internet access. Our kids live in a portion of the city where internet service is often spotty at best. The infrastructure for online learning at massive scale is just not there. Hopefully, the city will be working on that in the near future.

Confusing, because as I learned implementing learning at Virtual School, individual student motivation levels are varied in the extreme. To complicate matters further, and immensely, in our school, a large majority of students are ELL, English Language Learners. There are at least 18 unique native languages represented in our student body. The process for attending school virtually has been made as clear as possible by school and district administration and faculty, but "mileage varies" on both motivation and understanding--something always present in the classroom together but even more daunting for remote learning.

And finally, Inequitable, because--see Complicated. But also know that socio-economic disparity is darkly shining over our student population. Many students have younger siblings they are responsible for while their parents are working two or three jobs to pay rent and put food on the table. Some are going to work with their parents because there is no way for them to be looked after at home. Some are actually working construction jobs to help out with poverty level income. It's inequitable, okay? Not okay.

But mostly I'm hopeful, and first days with the small numbers of students who showed up to online class have been promising. I am hopeful that numbers will increase steadily until by the end of this 9 weeks we will have students who are ready to begin the second quarter of the school year with full attention to learning, and faculty who have it all (or most of it) figured out and are ready to lend full attention to teaching. Remotely.

Meanwhile, I want to share from this morning's "The Skimm" blog. Avail yourself (and subscribe to weekday updates from The Skimm, the closest thing to unbiased news I have been able to find):

DAILY COPING TACTICS

If you can’t afford to see a professional or want strategies for coping in-between sessions, there are tips and free resources out there to get started. Here are some of our favorites:

Tips: 

• 54321 Method...A mindfulness tool that grounds you in the present. First, identify five things you can see. Then, four things you can hear, three things you can feel, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This helps shift your attention to your surroundings and away from the intrusive thoughts in your head. 
• 3x30 Plan...Exercise at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes. This can mean walking, yoga, dancing, taking a virtual class. 30 minutes is one Friends episode. And exercise will be there for you (when the anxious rain starts to pour). 
• Breathe...You’ve heard this one before. Our stress guide gives you some breathing and relaxation tactics for managing stress (which can be a trigger for anxiety). 
• Schedule “worry time”...Take 15-30 minutes a day to identify what’s making you anxious and write it down. Because the first step is recognition and the second step may be starting a very sad handwritten book.

Apps and Websites: 

• Frame Therapy...This mental health platform offers free digital discussions on everything from racial trauma to coping with heartbreak, dealing with anxiety from layoffs, and more. It also helps match you with therapists within your budget. 
• Sanvello...An app that uses techniques based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to manage stress and anxiety. It includes things like daily mood tracking, meditations, and an engaged community—plus, it syncs with your Apple Health app. 
• National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)...A hub for all things mental health—including personal stories, educational guides, and insurance info. 
• Breathe2Relax....Because “breathe in, breathe out” is easier said than done. This app, created by the National Center for Telehealth, guides users through breathing exercises to help manage anxiety levels. 
• Happy Not Perfect...A mindfulness app and site with a range of meditations for specific issues, plus tips for sleeping better and easing anxiety.

Podcasts: 

• No Feeling is Final…The host, Honor Eastly, explores her journey with anxiety and depression. Her personal experience helps equip listeners with tools for dealing with mental health on a daily basis. 
• Terrible, Thanks for Asking…Host Nora McInerny lost both her husband and father to cancer and had a miscarriage within several weeks in 2014. Here, she explores the ways grief and anxiety have affected her life, and how she and others respond to the dreaded “how are you?” question. 
• Ten Percent Happier…Host Dan Harris, an ABC newscaster, had a panic attack live on GMA. Now his podcast and bestselling book by the same title explore Panic Disorder and anxiety, and all the changes he’s made to take control of them in his own life. 
• The Calmer You…Anxiety expert and hypnotherapist Chloe Brotheridge (and her soothing voice) dishes out solutions for achieving a more confident and calmer self. 
• Anxiety Slayer...Provides interviews with mental health professionals and actionable tips for managing anxiety.

theSkimm

Mental health stigmas are real, but so are treatments. Anxiety does not mean weakness. Anxiety does not mean indulgence. Anxiety means you’re human—and learning to manage the condition and live your life.

Skimm'd by Eugenia Cassidy, Becky Murray, and Avery Carpenter Forrey