Distance Learning – Balasbas Says

ALHS c/o 2022

“Who’s your favorite class?” One of my students would constantly ask me. I told him I didn’t have a favorite, but if I did, it wasn’t them. It was the class above them. He still asked me every day, for the next 2 years. Each class he was in lowkey pushed my buttons. It testedContinue reading “ALHS c/o 2022”

Saving face over saving students

This is ridiculous. Seeing the strain and pressure, COVID is putting on students. They all see that the system is failing them—prioritizing their dollar amount over their actual life. I thought that being a department chair I could help enact some change. But I realize I’m still too small. I only now have a titleContinue reading “Saving face over saving students”

Shelter-in-Place Log #4

School has been closed since March 13th, 2020 and Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a Shelter-in-Place on March 17th, 2020. Despite other pandemics in recent decades (H1N1, SARS, Ebola, etc.) there hasn’t been a global pandemic or even state-wide shutdown during those times. And in accordance to SFUSD’s Continuity of Learning Protocol, all assignments at thisContinue reading “Shelter-in-Place Log #4”

Shelter-in-Place Log #3

March 25, 2020: Today the superintendent announced that six Bay Area school districts will extend the closure through May 1st and SFUSD being one of them. Like I mentioned in one of the previous logs— I am surprised and not surprised that they have extended the closure. I’m glad they did keeping in mind public safety, but now whatContinue reading “Shelter-in-Place Log #3”

Shelter-in-Place Log #2

Currently, SFUSD has put out what they define as the “Continuity of Learning” to address what [at least our district is doing, not so sure across the state] students could be doing and what teachers should be doing. Before the city-wide lockdown & shelter-in-place, I already anticipated that closure was upon us, especially with theContinue reading “Shelter-in-Place Log #2”

Shelter-in-Place Log #1

It’s been an interesting past few months for humanity and especially the past few weeks for California. Throughout January & February, more racially charged instances towards Asian Americans and Asians all over the world were springing up. At first, it was very distant, through Twitter or videos on Instagram. Then it turned into violence towardsContinue reading “Shelter-in-Place Log #1”