Today marks the first official summer day after a school year like no other. Yours truly served as official time keeper, homework poster, and tech troubleshooter for the year. Here are my main takeaways from conducting a mostly virtual kindergarten school year.
- Kindergarten has changed so much from the kindergartens of yesteryear. I remember finger painting, playing house, and story times. Beyond that, it’s mostly a blur. My daughter has learned how to read and mastered the Google Meets and other technical know-how I would never been able to wrap my head around at her age.
- Teachers are awesome. I mean, this isn’t really news for me or for anyone. Let’s say, my appreciation for teachers has grown thousands-fold. I witnessed some real and true cheerleading, creative pivoting, and patience in abundance. I even caught myself singing the Good Morning song without being prompted.
- Virtual gym. Never an athlete as a kid (and always picked last for most team-based gym activities such as the barbaric dodgeball), I marveled at the things the gym teacher was having students do. Planks. Mountain climbers. I, myself, learned these just a few years ago. My daughter was jumping and sweating — in front of her computer. I’m impressed.
- A few months ago, my daughter started a hybrid schedule, with two days of in-person instruction. I’m grateful this was an option, so she had some semblance of a normal kindergarten school year. She happily rode the school bus and was able to meet the friends she had seen virtually. Wearing a mask hasn’t phased her one bit, while I’m over here breathing like Darth Vader.
What are you looking forward to this summer?
The Midlife 
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