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During a health crisis, doctors and nurses may seem like the obvious ‘frontliners’, but there are many other essential workers clocking in each day to see the island through the pandemic.
Amongst them are teachers, carers, waste disposal workers, and many others who are also on the frontline to protect the community during this difficult time.
As people everywhere discover a new-found appreciation for those carrying out essential work, this month’s special online-only edition of CONNECT magazine strives to do exactly that; introducing Jersey to the faces on the frontline.
In a new series ‘Meet the frontline’, Express asks the same questions to a number of different ‘frontliners’ about their experiences in the midst of this health crisis.
We've already heard from a GP in the Hospital's new Urgent Treatment Centre, and today, it’s teacher Sasha Baker’s turn...
My typical day during the covid-19 pandemic is a balance between managing my role as a teacher, which includes preparing lesson material and giving feedback to the children I teach, and managing home-schooling for my own children, to ensure that they keep focused and are completing their home-schooling activities, whilst still being ‘mum.’
I would like more contact with my extended family, friends and work colleagues. I really miss the work banter and catching up socially with friends and family. I’d like to be able to have more music for our home-schoolers. As the music lead at the school, I understand how important music can be for our well-being and I am looking forward to taking part in an opportunity to have a virtual choir, that can include many school children, to celebrate the Liberation next month. As well as teaching in school, I also coach artistic roller skating for about 17 hours a week. I’m missing my sport and skaters so much, so I definitely need more time for wheels in my life!
It’s more difficult to think of something that I’d like there to be less of: other than fewer biscuits! Balancing both work and home life has its challenges, so finding ways to lessen those pressures would be helpful.
Personally, the pandemic has allowed my family to enjoy more time together doing a variety of fun things. My daughter has wanted to learn to sew for some time and we’ve used the time we have gained from rushing around a bit less, to sew cloth masks together. We’ve made about 50 and given these to my teacher colleagues and other families we know. Technic Lego has been a big feature in our lounge and we’ve played many board games and hours and hours playing bananagrams!!
Having a child with special needs means that day-to-day life can be stressful at times, but things like an easier school run and the ability to adjust our pace to reflect our needs, has simply given us more quality time.
I enjoyed working at school during the Easter holidays, looking after the children of some of the other essential workers. It was enjoyable as we weren’t tied into teaching the curriculum at that time. It was great having more time to talk and play with the children and we definitely made the most of the great weather.
I’ve found that splitting my time and flexing my working hours has allowed me to keep going. I can focus on dedicating time to each of my roles by allowing the roles themselves to take turns. It is not possible to be all things to all people at the same time and everyone I work with has really supported that. I try to set my own children off to a task that they can do independently then get on with my work.
Pictured: "It is not possible to be all things to all people at the same time and everyone I work with has really supported that."
From there on we try to take turns and adjust the day accordingly! Some days are better than others! Quite a bit of my own schoolwork has been done out of school hours.
Time in lockdown has allowed my family to take stock of what is and isn’t important to us. I hope that we will hold on to a bit of the slower-pace-of-life and I would like us to keep our daily walk going.
I also hope that as we exit the crisis, we will consider how we look after children’s wellbeing. We can’t just expect them to go back to how it was before. There will need to be careful thought put into how we can help them manage this change. I’m looking forward to being a part of that.
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