Today, March 11t, 2020, I’m participating in Two Writing Teachers’ Slice of Life Story Challenge.
She felt nervous. I could tell. “Mr. Ball, do you think the virus will get here…to our town?” she asked. Her lips curled upward, just slightly, in what looked to be disgust. Her eyes remained fixed on mine, exuding a deep, child-like fear. I could tell she was nervous.
The boy next to her chimed in. “It’s already in Wilton,” he said. Wilton is a neighboring town. Although he delivered his words confidently, he likely felt nervous, too.
I placed the clipboard that held my conferring notes down on the table at which we sat. I took a deep breath. “I don’t know,” I said, looking sympathetically back at the eighth grade girl next to me.
Perhaps a better, more reassuring answer could have been provided.
But I’m nervous, too.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Author: Lanny Ball
For more than 29 years, Lanny has taught, coached, presented, staff developed, and consulted within the exciting and enigmatic world of literacy. With unyielding passion and belief in the possibility of workshop teaching, Lanny has worked to support students, teachers, and school administrators around the country in outgrowing themselves as both writers and readers. Working first as a classroom teacher, then as a coach and TCRWP Staff Developer, Lanny is now a literacy specialist, working and living in the great state of Connecticut. Outside of literacy, he enjoys raising his three ambitious young daughters with his wife, and playing the piano. Find him on this blog, as well as on Twitter @LannyBall. Lanny is also a former co-author of a blog dedicated to supporting writing teachers and coaches that maintain classroom writing workshops, twowritingteachers.org.
View all posts by Lanny Ball
LANNY BALL, Literacy Specialist 
It’s really hard to navigate this scare for ourselves and for our students. I wrote about the corona virus today as well, though from a different perspective. I think we’re all feeling nervous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my gosh. I thought I was the only one obsessing about this. I wrote about this today too.
What else could you have said? False reassurances help no one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also wrote about this today! This interaction really captures the heart of things: we just don’t know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I try to focus on the human race’s amazing ability to solve problems. We cause them, we solve them, again and again and again. In the meantime we educate ourselves, since we will be called on to educate others and we do our part to prepare. Good luck with your eight graders, they do a lot of talking amongst themselves and it is good when they bring things up with their teachers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We are all nervous. I hope for health for all of us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel this post. It’s hard, but we honestly don’t know even as adults. I’m nervous, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our school closed today and it was such an uneasy feeling sending the kids off, not knowing when we’d all be together again and what comes next. I wish we could just tell them all that it would all be fine and we’d see them again tomorrow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no! Your school closed!? I’m so sorry. I’m expecting that will likely happen to us, too. I feel so bad for all those suffering because of this situation. Thoughts are with you!
LikeLike
What a difficult position to be in, but transparency is so important with students. “But I’m nervous, too.” It’s ironic situations like this are what bring people together.
LikeLiked by 1 person