Pilates for the win!

True story, except number 7. Hopefully we are back to some normality by December.

It has been another full on day of remote teaching. Have been on the go again since I got to school just after 7. Not all my parents came to pick and drop off work which was a bit irritating as it means the children are behind and I don't get all my marking done. Two students who were behind have caught up in some subjects but are still behind in maths and have been doing their work in the wrong books. Gets frustrating and I am now tired. Got home and finished my marking on the veranda with my dogs and then did an hour's Pilates with my sister and another friend Stephan in Scotland. We did a lot of breathing exercises and it helped me relax after today. My sister was keen to do a Les Mills On Demand session after Pilates but I am knackered after today and am opting out. Beth has signed me up for a two week trial of Les Mills. You can do body balance (like yoga and Pilates), more cardio or strength with weights (I don't have weights at home, so can't really do those unless I fill water bottles). I think I still prefer doing my work outs from my personal trainer for cardio as I know what I am doing more with those and I really get a proper work out rather than trying to follow on my computer screen.

Had two Zoom sessions today, one with my class to go over the maths and English for the week and the other with my two Chinese five year olds in China. The Chinese parents have asked for more conversation rather than drawing and chat. I was getting them to draw their family and things and giving the French vocab but it will be a challenge to keep their attention for a full hour with just conversation but will have to try. It really is tricky not being able to share a screen with them over WeChat. With my class the shared screen is still a distraction. Someone managed to wipe off what I had written today and I really got cross. I give them free reign of the screen for a five minute break but am trying to get them to refrain from doodles while I am teaching. Tomorrow is past paper day.

Maybe that's why one of my students cleared my shared screen, I don't know.

South Africa had exam classes at schools return to the classroom today. We still have no indication of when we might but people are saying we have to have the school sanitised and all the teachers being tested before we can open. There didn't seem to be an official update statement this weekend from ED on what the plan is. We passed through our first police road block today on the way home on the Borrowdale Road. The police lady just waved us all through. I guess if we weren't wearing a mask she might have stopped us but there was no questioning where we were going to and from. There was an army guy on the pavement and there was a police tent next to the traffic lights. Our gardner is sending his children for private lessons in Epworth as the schools there are all closed.

Took two art works by Mercy Moyo and then my cosmos picture to be framed by Mr Macfaydean. My cosmos can join my other cosmos picture by Karen Seager. As we're still in lock down I can do some more art on Wednesday.

My cosmos picture

Mercy Moyo

Mercy Moyo

Karen Seager