As I sit reflecting while our world changes to the new normal amid the Covid -19 pandemic, I am still processing so much.  My original spring break plans were to chaperone high school students on a trip to the Grand Canyon.  While I was disappointed for myself, I especially felt for these students, many of them seniors. Following the trip cancellation, the next news wave came around the country as schools closed and events were cancelled.  So many students put so much hard work and energy into theatre, sports, and extracurricular activities that will be no more. I had been counting the days until the National Art Education Association conference in Minneapolis.  The idea of meeting so many other Art Educators had been on my mind for a while. Of course that was cancelled. However, that convention will come next year in Chicago, and I already am looking forward to it. I knew the closure of my school district was inevitable.  Two Fridays ago, I was extremely impressed with my co-workers and staff as we put together resources, materials and chromebooks for students to take home. I felt an unspoken understanding that my students understood this would be their last day seeing me for a long time.  I’m thankful for having a small bit of closure now. I remember pumping hand sanitizer on their hands as they entered my classroom and the innocence of a student's question asking where I would go if they closed the school. My classroom is my second home, and I already miss popping in on the weekends to load and empty the kiln.  It’s strange how slowly and how quickly the world can change. My mind races from being anxious, to thinking about the lives of others and my students, to other things I can’t control. My heart goes out to all the medical workers and everyone working to help in this time of need. There are a lot of unknowns if we will be teaching in our classrooms again this year. In the meantime I’ll be taking on virtual teaching. I guess this is the best time to start my YouTube Channel.  I am going to look at this as a challenge to come up with new creative ideas. It’s already been fun seeing what other teachers are coming up with. When I see families outside walking and kids riding bikes, I am reminded we can find joy in nature and the ones we love. In this blog post you will find some highlights from the last few weeks in my classroom. I’ve included personal artwork I've made this week while staying inside. I plan on posting weekly lessons and art activities on this blog as I began my virtual teaching adventure. 

We can do this!