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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Being a Teacher During a Pandemic

3/18/2020

 
I have rarely done this, but I have edited the final paragraph in an attempt to say what I meant to say ...

These are certainly sad and trying times for sure. This certainly isn't the world's first pandemic though. Wikipedia gives that honor to the plague of Athens which in the 400s BC killed 75,000 - 100,000. In the 1520 Smallpox Epidemic, nearly 8 million died in Mexico. The Italian Plague of 1629 killed 280,000. And of course, there was the Black Death in the 1300s which killed 75 - 200 million Europeans, as much as 60% of the population. Don't they wish they would have had a Twitter account.  
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"The Black Death came from China and spread rapidly throughout Europe. By the end of the epidemic, it had killed 2/3 of Europe's population." - Vicki Rowe November 24, 2019
Before last week, no one in Kern County was paying much attention to the Corona Virus except on Facebook. We though the toilet paper debacle was quite hilarious. In all honesty, I think we thought it was a greatly exaggerated joke. Turns out it wasn't. On Saturday, there was no TP at my local Albertsons. 
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This is very true.
It was only when LA Unified closed its door that I began to worry. LA Unified serves 600,000 students. When they shut their doors, people listen. San Diego Unified, the second largest school district in California, followed soon after; they serve more than 121,000 students. My own district, which serves pre-K through 8th grade, provides education to more than 18,000 students. Bakersfield's only high school district, the Kern High School District, provides education to more than 40,000 students.

As district after district closed their doors, the Kern High School District waited until the Governor essentially made it mandatory. Whatever Kern High does, the elementary schools follow suit. I was glad that we were the last of the 25 largest districts in the state to close our doors. Today is our first day of closure.
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In times of crisis, stability keeps us sane. Following regular routines helps us to feel safe. As districts began closing their school's campuses before the virus had even reached their communities, I worried about our kids. Knowing that a closure was imminent, I started having round table discussions with my kiddos. We pushed our tables to the side and formed a talking circle.

For that first circle, I told them what our topic was, COVID-19, and I handed out a talking stick. It's really a plush pony that's easy to toss around the circle. I asked kids to share what they had heard, read on social media, or seen with their own eyes. That first day, the circle was 32 strong.

After talking, I asked each of my kids to visit the website Information Is Beautiful. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out, it is the most non-alarming thing you'll see on the internet today. Their COVID-19 #CoronaVirus Infographic Datapack is the best visual representation of the disease that I've seen.
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From the website, Information is Beautiful.
The next day, we again met for a talking circle. Our circle was much smaller with only 21 of us. Again, we shared what we knew and had heard. We talked about our plans for a lengthy school closure and what that meant for their education. We also dug through the WHO website. We focused on two areas, the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Situation Dashboard and the Myth Busters page.

In my own classroom, we finished each day by using Clorox wipes to clean our table tops and frequently touched surfaces like door handles and light switches. This is a practice we've done since the first day of school. My classroom also has a wall mounted hand sanitizer unit that the kids use whenever they want.
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From the WHO website - Myth Busters page.
My talk circle on Tuesday was much smaller. There were only 17 of us. Again we talked about the craziness we were seeing. We revisited the Information Is Beautiful website, the WHO website, and the CDC website. We also found out that there was at least one confirmed case of Corona Virus in Kern County. That individual was visiting from the San Fransisco Bay Area. That information tipped the scales for my district. Tuesday was both my kiddos' and my last day until at least April 14th.

In preparation for a closure that involves 13 school days, my district quickly assembled packets and supplies to be sent home with each student at the end of the day. Fortunately, most districts around California already have a spring break scheduled during this time, so the number of missed school days will be fewer than what a 4-week closure makes it sound. For students who were absent, their packets were labeled and placed in bins in front of the school. Parents were messaged and asked to come pick them up.

Besides providing packets of grade appropriate schoolwork for each child, my district is also providing portable breakfast and lunch packs for any child under the age of 18. Between the hours of 11:00 am and 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, a meal pack will be available at most of our schools in the drive through for any child in the car. The meal packs are being offered free of charge, Meals must be consumed off site to discourage large gatherings.
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From the CDC website.
As a teacher, I feel strongly that it is my job to present the facts to my students. When I teach reading, I look for texts that don't have a hidden agenda, and when they do, we talk about it. For history, I strive to present both sides of an event. Just a week or so ago we discussed why the patriots of the American Revolution are viewed as heroes rather than the traitors they might have been had the colonists lost the war. In science, I present data that is known and accepted by the scientific community. And when it contradicts what religion says, we talk about that too, respectfully.

So when the world looked to be falling apart right in front of our eyes, my students and I examined the data from what seems like the most reliable sources available. Does the Corona Virus merit the social media attention, social distancing, and societal shut down that we're seeing? I let my students decide for themselves.
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From the Information is Beautiful website.
As for me, I fear this is really just political maneuvering by both the Democrats and the Republicans. Is the shutdown of businesses both large and small truly necessary? Is it worth the cost? People die every day from a a lot of other preventable causes, and no one is screaming about them. Look at how many people will die today of Tuberculosis. Already in 2020, there have been 8,247 known American deaths caused by gun violence (source). Out of 7.7 billion people worldwide, only 7,873 have lost their lives to COVID-19, fewer than the more than 8,000 American who have died from gun violence. Why are we not angry about those deaths? Is it simply because those deaths, the ones from Tuberculosis and gun violence, aren't part of our every day experiences? And yet, long after COVID-19 fades away, those deaths will continue to rise higher and higher, year after year.

Do I think pandemics in general are fake or contrived? Absolutely not, but I do worry that this one might cause us to become jaded toward the next one. A more deadly one. One like Smallpox but more contagious with a higher death rate.

​I guess only time will tell.
Megan K link
3/18/2020 10:23:31 am

You have a couple posts that come across as tone deaf, but man this one really takes the cake. This post comes across really heartless and selfish.

LoveLaughRide
3/18/2020 10:27:39 am

I was with you about honest and accurate discussions but then I got to the end of this post and my jaw completely dropped. I cannot believe your cavalier attitude. People in Italy are dying because the healthcare system is overwhelmed. All of the new recommendations and requirements are a concentrated effort to slow the spread so that the same doesn't happen in North America. It's does not originate from political maneuvering. That kind of attitude is what leads people to make irresponsible decisions.

Canada has been more aggressive in efforts to combat the pandemic and we do not have an upcoming election, so how do you explain it? Or the UN declaring it a pandemic? Or do you really believe that the world revolves around the States?

LoveLaughRide
3/18/2020 11:08:00 am

475 people died today in Italy, solely of COVID-19. But hey, according to you, people die every day.

Amanda link
3/18/2020 10:36:31 am

I have... a lot of concerns.
https://illnessquiz.com/sociopath-test/

EventingSaddlebredStyle
3/18/2020 10:41:31 am

I am sure you will disregard my comment as an internet rando but I do have the education and credentials to back it up. I have a PhD in microbiology and have spent a large portion of my life working with and studying infectious diseases. Additionally I have always had a strong interest in epidemiology and have spent time educating myself in these matters.

I am absolutely horrified at this post. No this is not a disease with a high mortality rate, but it is a disease that spreads rapidly, lacks treatments, and has the ability to overwhelm our healthcare system. Once the healthcare system has more cases than they can properly treat they are forced to make decisions about who to treat and who dies which ultimately causes more people to die than maybe the disease would cause. It has been especially lethal to the senior population, and I don't know about you but I personally don't want to see any of my senior friends die.

Another large risk is children seem to have very few or mild symptoms which means schools are a great place for the disease to spread. Everyone knows children readily pass germs from one to another and it is quite easy for one child to spread it to classmates who take it home and spreads it to their family who then can spread it through work. I wouldn't be proud that your school was the last to close or that you passed an object all around all of the students. Both of those actions COULD (I am not saying it did) help facilitate the disease spread quite easily.

Please provide your students with the current and proper information (WHO and CDC that you mentioned are excellent resources). Proper hand washing (much more effective at killing the virus than hand sanitizer) is key and it would be amazing if you could actually teach kids to properly wash their hands. I agree that it is important to provide information and a calm demeanor in this time of random panicking, but it is also very critical to listen to the scientific community and not downplay it as a political game.

Nat D link
3/18/2020 11:12:29 am

University teacher here. Covid became real for me when we had to cancel a student trip end of February to Central Asia in an area unaffected by the virus, because of the level of uncertainty around travel bans and quarantines. Hindsight being 20/20, it was the right call.

Then everyone took off around the world on our Spring Break and as the students started coming back to campus, Italy and Iran started their exponential growth of cases and the stories started breaking about the healthcare challenges and lack of equipment.

I took one look into the eyes of my 20 year old students on that first day post Spring Break and realized we needed to do something, and fast. I did an anonymous survey, and the students chose at 90% to move our classes online. Which we are currently in the process of doing.

Twenty-four hours later our provincial premier (like your state governor) called for a provincial shut-down, closing schools, universities and any non-essential service. At the time we only had 5 cases in the province. Hindsight being 20/20, it was the right call. We how have 94. New confirmed cases double every two days.

We are in unprecedented times. In a time of significant change (the topic I teach, by the way) we often witness three types of human behaviour. Those who deny anything different is happening and choose to ignore the change around them. Those who panic, and seek to secure their personal survival with a disregard to those around them. And those who lead by example, quick to adapt their own realities and priorities for the sake of the greater good. Let us show the world how our prompt and decisive actions can make a difference in breaking the exponential growth of this contagion. We are all responsible and accountable, individually and collectively.

As a teacher, I believe it is important that we lead by example.

Jan link
3/18/2020 11:36:22 am

We're all isolating ourselves to slow the spread of the virus, because it's exceptionally contagious, not because it's outright deadly. Sure, not a lot of people SHOULD die from it, but plenty are going to need medical intervention, especially the large at risk groups. That fills hospitals. The problem we're trying to avoid is what's happening in Italy, where their hospitals are completely overrun and people can't get the help they need. That causes people who should have lived, to die... not to mention completely unrelated diseases and illnesses that require medical attention who probably won't get it. I'd rather we overreact than consign people to die because we have to "pick and choose" to treat the ones we think will survive. It should be EVERYONE'S political agenda to keep their citizens alive.

AMacG
3/18/2020 12:28:58 pm

Well, I can see I was right when I considered you a sociopath for gleefully and purposefully cutting into your already bleeding horse for one *one more dig.*

Sandy orloff
3/18/2020 02:53:10 pm

Wow. People can be harsh I see by the comments! I totally agree with you Karen! And I feel should worry more about boosting their immunity than worrying about hoarding toilet paper yet I see plenty of fruit and veggies at the store. However all the red meat is mostly gone.

Chris Kaznowski
3/18/2020 03:44:37 pm

This is another example of completely different perceptions of events based on political viewpoint. I'm in the SF Bay Area, blue as blue can be, and I am following our area's recommendations for social isolation. I look at the data and see real peril. Bakersfield is pretty red, so the attitudes are based on Fox-filtered info. So sad! I hope Trump's reign is at its end, too bad it will be at such a cost.

Val
3/19/2020 01:01:32 pm

It's important to teach students how to be prepared and to be free thinkers. It looks like you are doing both. Good luck and stay safe.

We are doing online instruction here and it is an interesting adjustment.

Taylor
3/21/2020 09:56:31 pm

I read you faithfully everyday yet when I saw how you concluded this post I was completely shocked especially as you are a teacher! I have often applauded your strong stance on what to do even though others disagree. Your ignorance of what is happening in the world is astounding. I live in Toronto and I know many people in frontlines of healthcare. This is not a political battle. The only way to stop the spread is to be a decent human being and stay away from others as hard as it might be. Trying to rationalize it against other diseases and having a self-centred attitude will lead to thousands of unnecessary deaths. Please re-think what you are saying and stay safe.


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.
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    Photo by Lori Ovanessian

    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)

    About Izzy

    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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    March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)

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Among other things, Karen is a Wife, Friend, Reader, Writer, Rider, Traveler, and Dog Lover
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