Do you like roller coasters? Would you ride this one? I can tell you that roller coasters are not my cup of tea; granted this sentiment is based on a limited experience of riding roller coasters (and perhaps a fear stemming from one too many puking incidents following trying rides at Thomas Amusements such as 'The Sidewinder'). Lately, I have been thinking about the pandemic as the #covidcoaster.

I came to use this analogy for the pandemic because of the 'highs' and 'lows' I have been experiencing. Can you relate? In nature terms, I might describe it as 'peaks' and 'valleys', however the important thing is not so much the analogy as it is the feelings I am experiencing. 

The pandemic's effect on my world came during St. Patrick's Day weekend. It was preceded by a great week of 'highs'.

I had just returned from a quick 'baby moon' trip with my wife to Toronto to see some of our friends and take in Come From Away (5 STARS). 

On Tuesday March 10 and Wednesday March 11th I had the pleasure of attending the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District's conference for Leading Learners: Good at Learning Good at Life, which was two days of ABSOLUTE JOYFUL LEARNING.  

Following the conference I had two enjoyable days of 'Face-2-Face' meetings at the Confederation Building with some of my colleagues; little did I know they would be the last 'Face-2-Face' meetings for the foreseeable future. Little did I know that my family visits that week in St. John's would be the last before bubbling, social distancing, physical distancing, and #stayhome were the new reality.

Covid 19 was like a bank of fog sitting just outside St. John's harbour on a spring morning; slowly, but surely, it came creeping into the narrows as it swallowed Signal Hill, the Basilica, and The Rooms in it's wake. Newfoundlanders & Labradorians now look to Captain Fitzgerald, and her mates Ball and Haggie, as we weather a storm that could rival any Nor'Easter. To borrow an idiom, 'Calm seas may never made good sailors', and the pandemic has surely shown what strong sailors we have in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In one week life as we knew it changed. 

I started working from home on Tuesday March 17th, and now 2 months has passed. It's been a roller coaster. At first, I was excited by the opportunities this new way of working would create for professional learning, professional reading, development of new competencies, time to connect, and to experiment with new, and innovative, ways of learning. Indeed, it has proffered many of these wonderful opportunities.

I have learned so much during this period from webinars, reading, podcasts, meetings, and more. One project I am particularly proud to have been a part of is the creation of NLESD's Learning -at-Home website and print resource. Further, I have found being creative very fulfilling. I have used my social media platforms on Twitter & Facebook, paired with Youtube and my website, to do my small part to share some support for learning at home with 'Music for Mondays' and 'Friday Family Read Alouds'. Also, I have been trying to spend more time writing by journaling and blogging.

My work days before the pandemic were a mixed bag of visiting schools to work with students and educators and office days preparing for this work, as well as supporting both NLESD and Department of Education projects, which often involved Skype video calls.

Now my days are jam packed with both Skype calls and Google Meets. I prepare for work the same as I would when I was leaving home: right down to continuing my #tietuesdays. I like to dress for work because it helps me mentally prepare for work each day. Also, I have been using mindfulness to help settle my mind and focus on my intentions for each work day.

Sure, it sounds like it's been all 'highs' doesn't it? This pandemic isn't so much a roller coaster as it is a calm day 'out in boat.'

Until . . . 

The #covidcoaster is slowly climbing; its are wheels squeaking and creaking as it nears the crest of a high point in the track's construction - a moment's pause - the world is still; and then it plummets down into a spiral of gut wrenching, stomach turning loops and twists.

I lose my focus. I scream on the inside: what is happening in this WORLD? The voice in my head becomes more negative: What ifs are replaced with BUTS and CANTS. Drive and ambition is challenged by worry and fear. Focus fights procrastination, which is fueled by anxiety of the unknown. These are the feelings I experience when the #covidcoaster changes course. It is unsettling and challenging. However, I have strategies for these 'lows'. 

My first and foremost strategy is physical activity. When I am feeling low, worried, anxious, fearful, or my focus has been lost, I change into my cycling kit, hop on my bike, and hit the road or trails. Cycling creates a calm. I breathe in the fresh air; feel the wind on my face; hear the gulls' cacophony above; see the sun shining on Random Sound; and smell the musty leaves after the rain. With each pedal stroke my mind calms. A run does the same, as does a hike, or walk with my dog. Nature time heals and soothes the soul. I hope that you, my dear reader, are making time for nature in this pandemic. If you want some proof of how beneficial it is, listen to Chapter 51 of Neil Pasricha's podcast: 3 Books and learn about forest bathing from Dr. Qing Li. It's a great episode! (Thanks to colleague Georgina Lake for putting me onto this podcast). 

A second strategy that I have been using to help with the #covidcoaster lows is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice, and it's benefits are many. Personally, I use Calm, but there are so many wonderful resources out there that you can use. When our bodies are dysregulated, it is important to find our inner calm, and mindfulness helps me achieve that. What's your strategy? I will also note that when I don't make time for mindfulness I notice a definite difference in my focus and work - especially during this strange and difficult time. 

People who know me are aware that I am a positive person. I am still very positive, and I have so much that I am thankful and grateful for right now. In my heart of hearts, I know that 'this too shall pass'; we will find our way forward as we learn to live with Covid 19. However, I believe it is so important to ensure we are listening to our hearts and minds as we chart the course forward. We need to be kind to others, but also with ourselves. There are going to be 'highs' and 'lows', and while we may not be fans of this particular roller coaster ride we are on, let's find some measure of comfort and calm that like all roller coaster rides - this one too shall end. 

Thanks for reading,

Richard 

P.S. 

​Richard is Learning:

• How to solve a Rubik's cube
• Woodworking: building bookshelves for nursery
• Gardening: expanding on my knowledge and 'know-how' for 2020 season
• Podcasting: learning about this medium and how to produce a quality show. Working with a team for a potential podcast around Restorative Justice in Education. 
• Facilitating Online Professional Learning: engaged in helping with the facilitation of the Responsive Teaching and Learning policy Learning Series PL
• Joyful Learning Moment: I took some time this past week to finally learn how to solve a Rubik's Cube. I used this video, and while the video is 24 mins long - it took a lot longer than that to finally solve the cube, but oh the JOY I felt when I finally solved it! If you have a #joyfullearning moment, share it with me on Twitter: @MrChurchillNL 

Richard is Listening to:

• Sherman Downey: New Beautiful (Excellent album from one of NL's best folk singers)
• Chapter 51 of 3 Books podcast by Neil Pasricha
• Innovator's Mindset Episode 17B: Personal & Authentic During Coronavirus - A convo with Tom Murray
• In Conversation with Stephen Hurley: A Place for Restoration ft. Rick Kelly
• ​Joel Plaskett: 44 (New album from one of Canada's best folk rockers!)
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Reunions

Richard is Reading: 

• Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learners Through UDL and the Innovator's Mindset (Couros and Novak)
• Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems (Fullan & Quinn)
• Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World (Fullan, Quinn, and McEachen)   
• How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature (Sampson)
• Oliver Twist (Dickens)
• Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work (Crawford)   ​​

Richard is Watching:
The Last Dance
The Wire (Season 1)
Skate for Change: Ted Talk by Mike Smith (Thanks to colleague Niki O'Brien-MacDonald for sharing this)
Richard is Wondering:

• What is September going to look like for education?
• How are teachers coping? What do they need? How can I help them?
• How are graduating students feeling?
• How are retiring teachers feeling?
• When will I be able to get a haircut?
• How is our baby doing? (PPS: My wife is pregnant and expecting late August)
• What would help our students find joy in learning at home?
• What makes Learning Joyful?

I'm watching my fly bob along the ripples of the river; in the next moment my line goes tight and the whir of the reel's drag harmonizes with the gurgling river; my heart beat accelerates from a calm 4/4 rhythm to a rock-and-roll crescendo: salmon on. 

I cannot tell you how long that crescendo lasted, but I do know that it resulted in successfully landing this 65 centimetre Atlantic salmon; my first. I posed for a quick picture before my friend and I safely returned this Atlantic Salmon to the river because our maximum length for retention in Newfoundland and Labrador is 63 centimetres.    

You might be wondering what a story about salmon fishing has to do with joyful learning. Perhaps my smile in that picture is a hint.

When I returned to my position as a Safe & Inclusive Schools Itinerant with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District for the 2019-2020 school year, one of my goals was to continue my learning around the idea of 'deep learning,' as our district is engaged in a learning partnership with Michael Fullan, and his team of educators, to find a shared depth of understanding about how deep learning can revitalize learning in our classrooms. As such, I decided to challenge myself to take on a personal deep learning project. 

I reflected on what I wanted to 'go deep' about, and I found myself reminiscing about learning how to salmon fish during the summer. It was so joyful!

I knew what an Atlantic Salmon was; I knew what a fly rod was; and I spent lots of time trouting; but angling for salmon is a pursuit of art and finesse. You can always improve, and there is so much to learn: how to cast, how to set-up your reel. knots to tie (like the nail knot) how to tie a fly, how to read a river, the laws to abide by, the effects of river temperatures and water levels on salmon, and so much more.

By way of example, I learned that Salmon don't go after your fly to eat (because they don't eat once they leave the ocean to spawn), rather it is the angler playing at their instincts.

Truly, to salmon fish is an exercise in patience and self regulation when you are met with failure. You can't give up! I did not successfully land a salmon to tag and bring home for a meal, but that's my goal for this coming summer (if our salmon fishing season can happen safely during the #COVID19 pandemic).

Why did I find this experience so joyful?

That was the hook; how can we create learning in our classrooms that is joyful? How can we engage students so that they can experience joyful learning? That was what I wanted to 'go deep' about: What Makes Learning Joyful? 

So I created a Google Form and asked people to share their answers with me in the hopes that I can find some themes and "BIG ROCKS" about how we can make learning more joyful for students.

This isn't to say that there is no joyful learning in schools, because if you go to our @NLESDCA Twitter feed you will find countless examples of joyful learning, but I want more students to find their inner sense of joy when learning; in fact, I want ALL STUDENTS (& educators) to find that joy.

George Couros has a great quote in his new book Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learners Through UDL and the Innovator's Mindset about the importance of learning for educators, which reads: "If you want to be a master educator, you need to be a master learner." (pg. 81) If we create JOYFUL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, educators will be engaged and energized! IT WILL BE LASTING LEARNING, not ONE & DONE days of 'sit and get'.

I will leave you with one experience from one of the survey respondents: 

"There are so many, so it’s difficult to pick just one. Generally, hands-on or meaningful activities made learning joyful. One particular experience stands out from high school. I had a couple of teachers that really believed in me and took me under their wing. On one field trip day, they had set up something special just for me. While our school traveled to another town for skating at the stadium, I visited a classroom that had some students with special needs. (That was an area of interest from the time I was a very young child - having a cousin with Cerebral Palsy who had little speech/used augmentative communication and severe physical disabilities). Those teachers saw my unique personal interests and helped nurture that."

This respondent certainly had teachers who had excellent relationships with their students; and they looked for ways to create lasting learning, which is something I feel is a key ingredient in joyful learning. Moreover, Michael Fullan believes is achieved in deep learning. 

I hope that my deep learning project helps people like you - YES YOU READING RIGHT NOW (thanks for staying with me) - find joy in learning. I would love to know WHAT MAKES LEARNING JOYFUL FOR YOU?  

Thanks for reading,

Richard Churchill