When the world was flipped upside down in March and we were all forced into distance learning, all educators had to adapt. Now, with some schools back on campuses in person, teachers are adapting again. But unlike my colleagues at Peck, I continue to teach remotely. 

In order to keep my son Flynn safe, my wife and I, in consultation with our son's doctor,  had to make the decision that a return to campus was not safe for our family. This decision was easy in some regards, as the health and well-being of my son is our main priority, and in other ways, quite difficult.

This entire experience has taught me just how grateful I am to be in a position to make this choice. Family members have upended their lives to help with our boys while we continue to teach; friends have been generous with their ability to help us and their understanding of our situation; coworkers have been heroic in picking up the things I can't do; the Peck community has been supportive and thoughtful—I receive texts/emails/calls almost daily from faculty, staff, and parents who are just checking in and helping me feel connected; the tech team has gone above and beyond to make it possible for me to Zoom and Swivl into my classes each day; and the school’s administration, Andy Delinsky, Sadie Albertyn, and Chris Weaver, have been overwhelmingly supportive and understanding.

But as we often say, being a teacher also means always being a student. This experience has been no different. Here are five things I’ve learned about being an educator while teaching from home: 

• Kids are adaptable, maybe more so than adults.  This year has been hard for them, especially our eighth graders who feel the loss of so many signature experiences, but they have been going with the flow and adjusting to a "new normal" extremely well.
  
  
• How much I love teaching. I miss the kids, I miss my coworkers, I miss my lab, and I miss all of the little Peck things that make it a special and unique place. Teaching remotely has certainly had its challenges, but it's still great to see and talk to everyone each day.
  
  
• To be even more student-centered in my lessons. I can't do demonstrations, labs, or even give explanations the way I would if everything were normal, so I have needed to find ways to make each lesson about the kids.  Sometimes this is as simple as having a student demonstrate a simple idea, using stories to make comparisons and analogies that include students, and giving them more choice in their learning.
  
  
• That joy can be found in tough situations. As I said before, I love teaching. I find that there are reasons to laugh in every class. Knowing that I am teaching from our basement (to ensure a quiet environment), my sons made decorations to hang on the walls to liven-up my "office."
  
  
• How impressive Peck teachers are.  Between my classes, I help my oldest son with kindergarten, and I am constantly amazed by the talent, patience, care, and dedication shown by the Peck kindergarten team. Seeing a few minutes of their class every day shows me how similar our K students and our eighth graders are—they are all young, they are all curious, they are all eager to do their best, and they all want to have fun.  While I could never do what our kindergarten teachers do, they have already inspired some new eighth grade science activities!