What a weird time we have now found ourselves living in. 4 weeks ago I was hobbling… around London on the way to see The Script at the O2, and now, we are all effectively in lockdown; only allowed out for essential items, one bit of exercise, or to go to work, if you are what they are calling a ‘key worker’.
Everyone saw it coming, but nobody knew how hard it would hit. As of today, in the UK alone, 1,019 people have died from COVID-19, and across the world there are thousands more. Nobody knows who has had it already (unless they’ve been tested; very few have been),, who is carrying it now, and who is going to get it in the future, and that leaves us all on shaky ground, worrying for our loved ones, and those who are still needed on the front line- especially those fighting for our health and safety in the wonderful NHS.
The news is relentless! Who knew that something could be talked about (and quite rightly might I add…) more than Brexit. I actually haven’t heard that word said at all since COVID-19 hit the headlines. Each day there is something new to listen to, another press conference updating us and I can’t help but become quite overwhelmed by it all.
If I could, I would literally go into complete lockdown with my family. My anxiety around this whole situation would lessen greatly and I wouldn’t spend a lot of my time worrying that I’m picking something up that I am going to take home to the family and pass on accidently, and unknowingly to the other 4 people in my house. Obviously I am taking all the necessary steps and precautions for that not to happen, but how can it be 100% fool-proof? Truth is, it can’t.
As things stand as a key worker, I am still going into work, unless I or another member of my family are displaying symptoms… which we are not… yet. Fingers crossed it stays that way! As a teacher, we go in, on a rota to look after those children in our school that have key workers for parents or who are vulnerable and in need of the school to carry on. They stay with us for the school day, and go home again, as they usually would at the end of each school day.
Teaching in the COVID-19 pandemic is weird… nothing that anyone has ever experienced before. We were told on Wednesday evening, last week (18/3) that come Friday we would effectively be closed to all, except those key worker children. Cue the absolute mad rush to get things sorted for home learning for the next two weeks, and finding out which children would be where, whilst constantly keeping an eye on the government/LA guidance which was changing multiple times a day.
Effectively we were like ducks…. Serene, and appearing to the outside world like everything was under control, as not to panic anybody, especially the children. However underneath we were paddling like hell, making sure everything, for at least the next two weeks, was printed out, the instructions were clear enough, the children who were listed as vulnerable were sorted, the children with key worker parents either had alternative childcare or were coming into school still, all the while teaching a class full of children who were well aware that something was going on, but not sure enough of the extent of this to panic too greatly.
Now I’ve said before how teaching is unlike anything that I’ve ever done before, each day is different and you can NEVER predict what is around the next corner. But this has genuinely shown me how much we pull together in a crisis, and actually how good we are at bringing things together in such a short space of time, even when the task seems impossible. I honestly work with the best people, and each one of those people, last week showed how utterly amazing they are at so many things. This worrying, stressful time is upon us, but instead of locking ourselves away, we have continued to teach the children, give them things to keep their brilliant minds busy, and gone out to work on our rota’d days to ‘do our bit’. Yes, I am scared for what is to come, and hope to God the dip comes soon, and treatment is effective when it arrives, but for now I must carry on pushing myself and reminding myself each day about the amazing team I work with in school and that when we put our minds to it we can do anything!
Now, whilst we social distance from each other, and Isolate in our homes, during this lockdown we must, must, must, do those things that we always put off because we have ‘other’ things to do, or errands to run, or work to do. Use this as a perfect opportunity to do the things you love, whether that’s reading a book, making music, starting to write, spending time with your family (whether that’s in person, or on Facetime) or just catching up on that sleep! Take all the time you need, and when this is all over; hopefully sooner rather than later, we will be able to look back and tell people about that strange time where everyone went into lockdown, and the only people who were out were those in the NHS, those on the frontline in shops, emergency services amongst others, and those who taught our key worker children, and helped them through.
Who knows, whilst we are sat at home, eating our body weight in chocolate, the planet may start healing, families who haven’t spoken in a while might reconnect and people may rediscover/re-evaluate what they would like from their lives and what makes them happy.
All that’s left for me to say is thank you to all the amazing workers out there making sure we are ok, and that our country and its people can still function. Also those on the NHS frontline who are working so very, very, VERY hard to keep us safe, happy and healthy. Thank you from the bottom of mine, and I’m sure many others’, hearts!
See you next month!
Stay Home and Stay Safe!!
Sinead xx
What Am I Doing? 