… Hey Yall…. Ms. K here! We returned to school in June! Its been about 2 months being back at school so here is the update for me, at my school, in Shanghai. Of course, every school is different and of course I do not speak for all of China. Just sharing what its been like since I have been back at school.

If nothing else I can say that I am tired. I am beyond tired… We taught Feb-May at home, returned to school in June, and were still teaching right now and its mid-July. IT SUCKS. We are usually off in the summer, but because life is crazy right now, because COVID19 isn’t over, and there is a global pandemic happening…. we are still teaching. We will have two weeks off in August before starting the school year again in September. Never have I ever taught like this …. but never have I ever is life right now. I am adjusting daily, being flexible daily, and deserve DR PEPPER whenever I want it #judgesomeoneelse …. at any rate this is what school is like now ….

• Parents are not allowed on campus – unless it has been improved and there is a real need for them to be on campus
• Students wear masks to school, and when they leave school. They don’t wear them during class lessons.
• Students eat snacks and meal with dividers up. They are use to this routine by now and help with putting the dividers up and down before and after snack/lunch.
• Toys are disinfected daily
• We can’t use multi-use classrooms (Art/Drama/Playrooms/Theater/Music/Library) because so many classes would be used in one day so these classes are all held in the classroom.
• Students know to stand one meter apart from each other when waiting in lines
• Students have their temperature taken a quick check by the nurse when entering school and they have their temperature taken after they eat lunch
• There are procedures in place if someone has a temp while at school

Here are a few pictures from being back at school. After the first two weeks of being back at school everything has become the ‘right now normal’. I keep reading online ‘Kids cant stay apart’ ‘how can kids keep distance’ ‘kids wont do that’ – its hard. My kids still have playtime together because they are kids. They can’t stay apart all day – that is just nuts and would be exhausting….They are still little people, but when told to stay apart and distance themselves they do it. When told to put on their mask they do it. When told to go wash their hands again, or get their temperature taken again they do it.

All of my students didn’t come back to school. Some parents decided to stay home because they weren’t ready to have their kids return to school and this is okay. Everyone is entitled to do what is best for their family. I have had a small group and I will say that it has been nice.

When students arrive to school parents wait outside the ropes / they are greeted by teachers and staff …. and then can enter school … they need to enter school with a mask on and after cleaning their hands

Reminders to keep distance from others

Feet on the ground outside to help kids – yes they are close to each other here … theyre still kids ….

When students enter school they are checked by the school nurse

Footprints on the floor to help kids to keep distance

Students have their temperature taken midday after lunch

Dividers up in canteen to keep students distanced from one another during snack time and lunch time

 

Not sure what else to share with you all …. this is our school life right now

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My kindergarten students are graduating in a few days then they are off to first grade. What a year we have had together! I am so proud of their hard work. Awesome Job Polar Bear Students.

^Ms. Karla and her amazing kiddos^ 

Peace out kindergarten life …. Hello 1st grade!

My favorite Wakanda kid – he loves Black Panther as much as I do! So we both wore Black Panther shirts to school!

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#books #reading #readabook #educator #kindergartenteacher #blackeducator #songjiang #shanghaihdbilingualschool #KGLife #peopleunderfourfeet #joy #English #bilingualschool #blackexpat #shanghai #blackgirlmagic #karlagirljoy

#blackteacherabroad #blackteacherabroadandproud #unapologeticdopeness 

#Love#China #America #ImAMelanatedTeacherAbroad

I have been teaching and living in Shanghai, China since October 2017. It has been quite the experience with highs, lows, good, bad, exciting, new …. so much life has happened and keeps happening since I have been here. My fourth year living in China will begin in October 2017 and my third school year teaching at HD will begin this Fall. Here’s to a new and great year.

October 2017-December 2018 Disney English

December 2018-June 2019 – Shanghai HD Bilingual School

August 2019-July 2020- Shanghai HD Bilingual School

 

oh!!!

….people keep asking about the pictures I post with my students “where’s your mask” – we didn’t want to wear them for all our fun graduation photos and some group pictures so we didn’t have to. I promise we are following all necessary safety precautions. This country had a slow return to ‘normal’,restaurants, shops, and businesses were closed for a long time and they had a lot of security and procedure checks to be done from the government before reopening, temperatures are still taken before entering places, you are asked to clean your hands upon entering, in the beginning only a set number of people could enter places at a time, and movie theaters are just reopening next week and only allowing a certain number of people in at a time. It’s been slow, but good. I feel safe, and healthy and I am taking life one day at a time in the midst of all of this. School is good. My students were ecstatic to return to school in June. They have been great at following new procedures, wearing a mask when told, washing their hands multiple times in the day, and learning through the summer. It’s been a wild ride!

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What a time to be alive! I hope you all are staying safe and healthy! I sure am 

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

Thanks for joining me! Please share the blog and encourage others to hit ‘subscribe’ and follow my journey!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moya18qebys