The Election Storm
I am writing this post in the last days of early voting in my state. Next week is election day, and there is so much rhetoric on the news that the election will not be certain for days or even weeks after the polls close. A reporter with NPR, Miles Park, recommends “If There’s No Election Night Winner, Don’t Panic.” For some of us, this is easier said than done. To relieve some of the pent up frustration of polarization the same network, NPR, offers an online form where one can “Write A Note across the Political Divide. What Do You Wish They Understood?”
The Second or Third Wave ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Chart from 10/28/2020 – “The first case of COVID-19 in the US was reported on 1/21/2020. Since then, the country has reported 8,777,432 cases and 226,691 deaths”. – Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
This most intense election is taking place just as the pandemic is perhaps hitting another crest. Many of us did not know how to prepare for shutdowns the first time around. Perhaps the wisdom from the spring will inform our pandemic and quarantine preparation. Of course, we need toilet paper and wipes, but what else was priceless during the stay-at-home orders? For me, books, audiobooks, and other entertainment. Along with routines for exercise and companionship of a pet.
Drawing from recent experience, we can help our students prepare for the next wave. If you are in-person teaching, talk with students about what staying at home again this winter looks like. Distance learning teachers might prepare students for future stay-at-home orders and discuss how this might change household routines.
Besides preparing our students, we might think about what another wave looks like for our inner life as librarians and readers. Rachel Krasky noted the importance of reading during quarantine in The Guardian’s post “95 Books and Counting: Finding Solace in Reading through the Year of COVID.” She notes, “In a global pandemic that has kept us at home, isolated from loved ones, isn’t that just what we need?” If it is online teaching tips that you need this winter, check out The New York Times Teaching Project “80 Tips for Remote Learning from Seasoned Educators.”
Quaranteam
In searching for mental health and self-care survival tips for the second wave, I came across the idea of “quaranteams.” Sources from Public Broadcasting to MIT have featured articles on the idea of teaming up with a small group of people to form a pod or social bubble. This might be a way students can cope with social isolation that was a struggle during the spring and summer. School librarians can be a part of a quaranteam that creates these intimate social opportunities and creates a group that adds fulfillment to your life going forward.
More information about Quaranteam
- Winter Is Coming. It May Be Time To Start A ‘Quaranteam’ If You Haven’t Already
- How to Form a COVID-19 Social ‘Bubble’ or ‘Quaranteam’
- A Guide to Negotiating a COVID “Bubble” with Other People
- Consolidated Tips on Creating a “Quaranteam”
Author: Hannah Byrd Little
Hello, I am the Library Director at The Webb School of Bell Buckle. I use my past experience in college and university libraries to help my current students in school libraries transition into college, career, and life. I am currently the lead Senior Class Adviser for the Capstone Project. I also served at the state level with the Tennessee Association of School Librarians executive board from 2009-2013 and was the TASL president in 2012. I am certified as a Library Information Specialist for PreK-12th grade, have a BS in Communications with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations, a BS in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Education and Information Systems and a Masters in Library and Information Science.
Categories: Blog Topics, Community/Teacher Collaboration, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models
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