Tucson Teacher: What did I do on summer break? Became a prepper.

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

I have been asked what I have been doing as a teacher during the summer downtime.

Well, truth be told I have become a prepper. I haven’t dug a shelter in the backyard and stockpiled Yoo-hoo, Spam and toilet paper. OK, maybe an extra 18-pack of Charmin is in the back of the closet.

But I am a teacher, so I am always prepping. I don’t prep because the end of time is coming. I prep because I look to the future and I am optimistic.

I look forward to school beginning again. I look forward to my students safely coming back to the classroom. I do hope we get to restart classrooms safely and soon. In the meantime, I am practicing my stand-up routine in front of a camera. And I prep.

I prep lessons for streaming my classes online.

I prep lessons to teach in person.

I prep learning software that will let me stream and teach a live class at the same time.

I prep and practice my lessons in front of my son, a senior, and then throw that lesson away as he shakes his head and leaves the room.

I prep and record lessons for students who will be working to support their unemployed parents and will need to take the class off and on around their work schedules.

I prep how to deal with students that will come to school sick.

I prep how to keep all my students distanced but together.

I prep taking temperatures of everyone entering school at the beginning of the day.

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I prep taking student temperatures before every class.

I prep disinfecting protocols between each class.

I prep by sourcing PPE.

I prep by sourcing material to use in my lessons.

I prep by sourcing disinfecting products.

I prep how to deal with the emotional turmoil students have with what is happening.

I prep how to teach a subject I know nothing about because there are not enough substitute teachers and if another teacher gets sick, I will cover their class.

I prep lessons in case I become ill.

I prep knowing something will happen that I did not prep for.

I prep so my students will have the critical thinking skills they need to build the great life they all deserve.

I prep for a better future.

I prep so I am ready to begin in August, no matter what school looks like. I am a teacher. It’s what I — what we — do.