Teaching art history in an entirely online environment has brought a new set of challenges and opportunities that I’ve come to embrace with enthusiasm.

I avidly recall a second grade class that would excitedly huddle around my rocking chair for story time. Students scrambled around sliding chairs to the carpet where I read heartwarming and sometimes zany tales, they reminded me that story time was counted among the most meaningful and cherished moments of a child’s day. Story time is a child’s portal into endless worlds, kingdoms, and dimensions.

"What do you mean, we have rights as minors?” Thirty pairs of quizzical eyes met mine. Brows furrowed in confusion. “Aren’t rights made by adults, for adults?”

In March 2020, we received a rather cryptic message from our Technology Director: “Bring your computers home during the break, just in case the situation changes.”

The topic of awe couldn’t be more timely. I’ve never seen such an urgent need to address social-emotional issues in and out of the classroom as I do now.

This collaboration between the Library Learning Commons, a Grade 9 math teacher, and Indigenous Education blossomed into a beautiful place-conscious learning opportunity.

It is not uncommon for a student to struggle with newly learned material. The question we need to ask is when does it become problematic?

As I stood in my empty classroom surrounded by piles of boxes, I couldn’t help but wonder: what was I going to do now?

For teachers, time is a precious commodity. That’s why I believe we need to incorporate Google Drive into our everyday teaching standards.