• Feeling: Surprised how well today went
• Listening to: Nothing today
• Watching: The Mandalorian

Got up about 8am, D was already downstairs working and B was having breakfast. It was the first day “back to school” (at home) following 2 weeks Easter holidays, and I was really worried that the kids, especially F, would find it difficult to be told they needed to do school work again.

B decided to get dressed in his school uniform as a way of getting into the school mindset – which I think was a great idea and worked well for him. He seemed pretty focussed all morning and relaxed about his work – which was nice.

By the time F came down at 8:30, B was already working, and F had breakfast then got ready to do PE with Joe Wicks before starting some work. She did a little bit, but I’m not sure was very focussed, and then D persuaded her to give the BBC Bytesize material a go. I was teaching my online course at 10am, so not sure exactly what this was like, but D said it involved Dick & Dom reading George’s Marvellous Medicine and then F spent time going through various Bytesize resources on the BBC website – so I think positive although it sounded like it lacked any structure – so F presumably just picking the things she’s interested in (which is a win I think!).

F also did some work on her website during the day, adding a place where people can post ideas of things to do while in lockdown and was delighted when B left a comment for her 🙂

I was on calls for much of the rest of the day – teaching 10-11, quick break for coffee and then a meeting, a break for lunch and another meeting, with a final hour from 6-7pm on another call. The online teaching seemed to go well and I’ve got two further sessions this week to the same group. I was a bit stressed with the other work today but only because I feel like I’ve fallen a bit behind (having focussed on preparing for the teaching last week).

B & F had online Art class after lunch (which again left F upset unfortunately – she gets very frustrated and sad when what she is doing doesn’t turn out as she wants / thinks it should – I really relate to this as I feel the same often with artistic endeavours – the visions in my head are always so much better than what I seem to be capable of realising). After that they both had online tutoring with Explore Learning – which went well – they always seems to enjoy this and I think the 1-to-1 aspects are a huge benefit especially at the moment – it gives a focus on the kids which they don’t get from anywhere else right now.

I’ve got a plan to try to fix some electronics to the wooden automaton I built yesterday to get sound played as the guitarist moves – hopefully something I can work on with the kids.

So a good first day “back” after the Easter holidays. I suspect it won’t all be plain sailing this week, but I’ll take that for a Monday.

Stay safe, stay strong