Page 30 - COVID Consortium Journal - An Edited Collection of Student Art and Writing

three year old daughter Violet made Post Office worker who works 15 hour
frequent audio appearances. At one shifts, so Ms. Solla is left to do most
point he turned around and respond- of the childcare, and yet she does not
ed to her chatter with a chuckle,“Okay, want to “short change” her students.
hold on, can we talk about rocks in a “I just need to catch up,” she voiced.
second?” Such interruptions have
become routine for teachers like Mr. She explained how before quar-
Sole, who said, “The only time I have antine, at school she wore her “teacher
to take a breath is when Violet goes hat,” and when she left school to pick
to bed, and by that time I’m tired as up her kids she replaced that with her
well.” “mommy hat.” “Now it’s like mommy,
homemaker, teacher, whatever. How-
Joanna Dolgin, 11th and 12th ever many hats you want to put on my
grade English teacher and mom of a head you can,” she said.
five and three year old admits, “Now
everything is a juggle. I try to sneak All that teachers do would be
away for a staff meeting or to grade impossible if they are overtaken by
student work. But often a little kid the coronavirus. Ms. Fontana, a single
comes in to either get on camera or try mom who cooks, cleans, organizes,
to get me to do something else.” helps her kids with their schooling,
and lies down with her eight year
Even when children are older, old until she falls asleep every night,
the demands of parenting remain. explained that she is taking all pos-
8th grade English teacher, Diana sible precautions because if she gets
Quinones, is the primary caretaker sick, running the household would
for her fifteen year old daughter, who be a burden too heavy to place on
still needs help with school work and her older, ten year old daughter. “We
needs to be reminded throughout the just have to survive right now, we
day to stay on task. As Ms. Quinones just have to do the best we can while
prepared dinner, pots and pans saving our own mental health,” she
crashing in the background, she said, said.
“I am in mother mode and teaching
mode at the same time, and it feels Many teachers are afraid to
like my brain is spread into too many come into contact with relatives,
different directions sometimes.” friends, or family members that
would usually help babysit or provide
Many teachers, more than support. This can especially put pres-
anything, just want a break. “Our sure on single moms and dads. Ms.
teachers are spent,” Principal Feder- Moonsammy, a single mom, said, “I
man said. Ms. Sollas’s husband is a do have moments when I kind of wish

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