I remember that afternoon in March, like it was yesterday - or may be I remember it like it was from a decade ago. The local unified school district announced a month long shut down of schools as a precaution to comabt the rapidly spreading Covid 19. The brand spanking new virus on the block was freshly upgraded from epidemic to pandemic and Quarentine was to become the new overused word across the globe, like Tsunami became a couple of decades ago, when it first hit the Indian ocean.
I remember nodding my head in an Indian negation when I discussed the 'month long' break with the second born's pre-k teacher. "One month, seriously?" The animate Ms.R rolled her eyes while her chic bob swayed gracefully. "Well, we are always over cautious, we'll see" I added, hopeful that this was a healthy fear bordering on an over reaction and the schools might get back into session by the end of week two of the planned shut down. Little did I know that we are actually looking at an year long lock down at that point in time, a lockdown that would span over the calendar year and bleed into the new academic year.
And here I am, stepping into late August, with a week of 2020-21 school year stashed back into the past, as virtually as it could get. The first born started her high school and is doing her shelter in place with the deligence of a soldier - meaning, she is thankfully, fully independent and I continue to supply her three meals to her room while the second born's daily routine adds a unique layer to my duties of the primary caregiver. In this new capactity as a guide to her online class experience, I spend a good 20 to thirty minutes of my day prepping her workstation for the virtual routine. Add to that her 90 mts f class time, and I have a good measure of my waking hours spent being a kindergarten helper teacher. I carefully print the weekly lesson plan emailed to us and dig through the stack of material, construction paper and writing journals that her class teacher made us pick up, to get her ready for the day. I sharpen her pencils, make sure her safety scissors and colored papers are in hand's reach and I sit with her while she manuvers through the instructions and shared screens of Ms. K's virtual classroom and boy, do I feel like I got a second chance at being a kindergartner again.
While I am getting used to and enjoying what I initially looked at as a chore, I am also in awe at the thought and heart that goes into the teaching and moulding of little kids in this country. I smile with smug pride at the thought that we are a part of a nation that provides world class education to its offspring, free of cost. That dear peeps, is the biggest blessing any nation could have and this very fact probably explains why USA is the pride and envy of the world.
As we stream through the two hours instructions punctuated with two ten minute breaks, I see bright little faces, fresh as daisies, articulating their hearts out like little adults. "Ms. K, the yellow blocks are diagonal to each other - little miss A announces with a "Eureka" like enthusiasm and I smile tracing back my learning record and wondering when I knew the word 'diagonal' in my time line.
Now Ms.K - a kind looking lady who had seemingly dedicated a better part of her life teaching, has a personality that shines through her pale skin and brunette hair. She brings the class pet Mabel, a baby pink elephant accesorized with a periwinkle blue and grey bow and makes her wave to all of us at the commencement of every day. "It's okay to make mistakes" read the title of the first read aloud book in the class while Ms. K seemingly staged a 'I made a mistake yesterday' scenario and read through the book reassuring the little impressionable minds to know that making mistakes is the way of life and the road to learning. I sat back and gasped at the holistic learning that was happening in this space, the emotional intellect that was being nurtured and how I enjoy the perks of being a bystander and smile like my life is blessed with this unique and unusual opportunity of a second chance at a Kindergarten class.
Looking back, I realize I miss my teaching gig and how wonder how much fun it would have been if I chose to be a kindergarten teacher. The twist is that I enjoy the bigger fun of being a kindergartner all over again, while being a part of my second born's first steps into the world of learning and witnessing her blooming into a well rounded little person first hand.
And as if all these silver linings aren't enough, I see an epiphany in Ms.K's online teacher's site. It quotes Roald Dahl and speaks about belief and magic. And I realize, I had been a believer all my life and that's why magic finds me in the most unexpected crannies of my life - while canoeing through a pandemic, while wondering what happend to good old routine and while being on the wrong side of the wrong decade, but still pulling off a five year old's life with such joy and aplomb. Trust in magic Dearies - for you'll find it if you do. And trust my example :)
