The classroom where time stands still...

The backpacks are gone. The children all went home. The calendar remains in March even though time outside kept on moving. The desks are still full, but empty of the one thing that made them come alive each day. The artwork on the walls is full of shamrocks and gold, rainbows, and leprechauns. Spring was right within their grasp.

White boards remain covered in lessons teachers thought they would pick back up in two weeks. They didn't say goodbye. They said I'll see you in a little while. A little while has gone on longer than anyone imagined it would, but in that classroom time stands still. The chatter, the laughter, the questions, the explanations, and the brainstorming can no longer be heard within those walls. They have been replaced by the deafening sound of silence. The classroom where time stands still during this great pause is quiet.

Forgotten lunch boxes, sweatshirts, and coats remain. Untold stories, empty playgrounds, missed moments and unmade memories will be the stories they will tell one day. Learning has moved from the classroom to online, but teachers and students continue to miss the classroom where time stands still.

They say that some of the best lessons we learn in life come from real life experiences. No one can be sure what the lessons learned from this will be one day just yet, but one thing is for sure, the classroom will not remain in March 2020 forever, and when time does start again, the silence will surely be replaced with joyous cheers like nothing that has come before them. The classroom where time stands still will become the classroom where time moves again, and it will be a day to rejoice. It will be a day full of celebration. It will be a day to share stories, create art, ask questions, brainstorm, and learn together. It will be the day we press play after a long pause. It will be the day, when the classroom where time stands still comes alive once again.

*Illustration shared with permission courtesy of Cheryl Crouthamel Illustrations Thank you teachers and students. You are all truly amazing! Original post appeared on Jennifer's Facebook page