Category: Captain’s Logs COVID-19

Captain’s Log 3/27/2020

On the virtual ship today the crew tackled their first discussion board. There were minor bumps, but we fared well. I am impressed by how resilient these kids have been and how honest they’ve been about their struggles, questions, and fears. They have adjusted, but I asked today how they FELT for their discussion post. You can tell that some of the students are rolling with the changes, others are full of anxiety. They want to do well. How does this work? When will we go back? Will we go back? What if…? People have talked about all the adjusting teachers, I mean… Captains, have done, but we can’t forget how much the kids have been through. I’m a decent captain, but this crew of mine is strong.

On my actual ship, the crew spent a good deal of the day planning a camp out on the deck (living room floor). Reserves of vegetables and meat in the galley are high, but we were into emergency rations of snacks. I manned a solo expedition to the shores of a local Walmart. I genuinely feared for my life, since a plague is circulating now. I survived the trip, but the number of sick and dead rise daily. The crew are confined to the ship for their own safety.

More tomorrow,

Captain C. Wilson

Captain’s Log 3/26/2020

Today we faced our first challenge on the virtual ship: opening a google doc. I know it sounds simple enough, but imagine you are stranded on a desert island with only an internet connection. After many, many emails and text messages and assignment comments and some screaming into local pillows, all of the crew is alive, and most of the docs were opened and submitted. The virtual ship took on some water, but we pulled through.

On my actual ship (home), the crew completed some learning activities, had recess, enjoyed screen time, and ate an unprecedented number of snacks. They did do some light cleaning. No crew were grounded; they are alive, and we only had a few moments of despair.

More tomorrow,
Captain C. Wilson

Captain’s Log 3/25/2020 Part II

I returned to the ship with my biological crew after lunch. The crew were better behaved today than yesterday, considerably so.

I worked on my new virtual ship and found success on the interwebs. Hopefully these smooth seas prevail in the morrow.

The boys and I took another outing to hunt bears. We found 13 in, on, and around neighboring ships.

The crew is alive and well.

More tomorrow,
Captain C. Wilson

Captain’s Log 3/25/2020, Part I

Today captains were permitted to return briefly to their abandoned ships to collect necessary items and prepare materials for crew (students) without Internet.

It was an emotional experience for me. I have been doing ok with the changes, but seeing my empty classroom ahem, ship, broke my heart. I genuinely miss my students, and I miss teaching them in person.

Today, we forge a new path on the seas of the Interwebs. To be fair, there were already ocean analogies for the web, so the captain’s log remains fitting. I’m off to my virtual ship.

More later,
Captain C. Wilson

I’ve been meaning to start a(n honest) Captain’s Log. I haven’t up to this point because I’ve been so busy sharing information that I thought it would get lost in the shuffle. But now, now, I am ready.

Captain’s Log 3/24/2020

I had to check the calendar because I didn’t know the date. Or what day it was. And I’ve written “2012” as the year at least 3 times today.

Today I drove myself to get donut holes (drive-thru) in an act of self-care. Upon my return, I began my virtual work day. The crew (read: the boys) proceeded to repeatedly interrupt said virtual workday approximately 1042x with bouts of crying, tattling, and general efforts to kill each other. The crew was sent outside to play. Moments later, the screaming began. I texted an urgent prayer request for my sanity before retrieving the crew and grounding them from each other in separate parts of the ship (house).

We ate lunch with Bobby as a family, and he offered to take the crew while he worked, so as to preserve my mental health.

After lunch, I worked for 5.5 uninterrupted hours and accomplished my entire (work-related) to-do list without having to yell at or ground anybody. The ship was empty save me, and the seas were calm.

Upon the crew’s return to the ship, we took a brief outing to go on a “bear hunt”. Bears were hunted. The entire crew is still alive.

More tomorrow.