People are feeling a sense of anxiety now. We are worried about family and friends, about the whole of society. You have to adapt to being cooped up. And on top of this you are trying to continue to deliver in new ways.
Maybe you are saved your daily commute, but instead you have to swiftly adapt to strange new systems:
zoom, seesaw, hangouts, google classroom, Edmodo, Microsoft teams, Padlet, Moodle, Blackboard, Skype, Whatsapp, YouTube, Slack, Canvas and more. We have switched to online engagement and it has been a tough two weeks getting up and running. It is a new and different way of working with new types of stress so it is important to look after ourselves to avoid burnout and fraying tempers.
Ease up. Don’t try too much and don’t try too hard; let good enough be good enough. You also have to ease up on expectations from pupils and parents. Be patient with yourself and others.
Organising your house(hold). Make a work area in your house, where you have good light and can maintain good working posture. Keep regular hours.
If you’re sharing your house, you’re lucky to have the company, but that brings challenges especially if you have kids. There could be competition for the only computer in the house. If you and your partner are working you may have to share the supervision and tech.
Take regular breaks. Get up and walk around. Do something else for a while. Go out for a walk once a day to get fresh air. Enjoy the signs of spring in your environment.
Stay connected with others. Whether you are isolated alone or with others it is nice to keep in touch with colleagues and friends. Use a video link as seeing faces connects us so much more. Try to set up regular meetings with colleagues so that you can share about successes and challenges. .Arrange a virtual coffee break online.
Parents are feeling a lot of pressure to home school. They are not trained teachers. There is a limit to what most of them can achieve. If they can keep their children occupied without a total demand on their time then that is an achievement.
Our activities are designed with this in mind. We provide hands-on activities and recreational maths activities that offer great problem solving skill development. We are also putting material out on a regular schedule; please share with parents and pupils.
Parenting NI has advice about talking to children about Covid-19. Read it
here
As long as we are putting in all this effort, we want to make sure we are being useful to you. Let us know how we are doing and feel free to share your own ideas and resources.
mathsweek@wit.ie
Have a good laugh. If you haven't see the video below from Foil, Arms and Hog watch it now. 
