Photo by Tai’s Captures on Unsplash

I am navigating my way around 2022, classes, building different relationships, navigating diverse needs of the learners, various capabilities of the learners getting them all off to a good start. There is a lot of Covid going around. Sickness has come to Dunedin’s 100% in February 2022. It is everywhere; half the classes are online, sick at hope or isolating.

I am trying to navigate how to teach our new learners, some in class. Some of our learners need to be in class on campus and not online. I have the challenges of different capabilities in neurodiverse learners. I have several learners over two cohorts with various challenges; to be honest, they are lovely learners and really enjoying it. Navigating myself around my own learning capabilities and teaching them has been quite a juggling act. I have done this before, but now that I am more aware of my own capabilities on my own learning styles, I am more Intune with my learners. I can see above their mask, their understanding. A really good understanding.

I am taking on various roles and responsibilities for 2020, learning to be a liaison officer. I am a youth wellness mentor for a young person, doing my master’s, still interviewing as many people as possible about your understanding of neurodiversity. My passion, my love, my new me. All while doing it with a mask on social distancing, this in itself has created another challenge. But it is OK, and I can do this. I have support networks and my “work rounds” that I have got my strategies all set in place.

The navigating around the obstacles of what just life pops up, being more aware of what I can bring to the event, what I can bring to the classroom, what I can bring to meetings. Whereas in the past, I have often stayed quiet and thought that my opinion was irrelevant.

I tell my learners all the time that if they have a question or a comment or a concern to say it, ask it, email me. I encourage my learners to engage with me and create an excellent learning environment where they can trust and say something without any judgment.

It is going to be a Goodyear. I can feel it. Navigating. It will all come together.

. Keep navigating. Keep doing what you are doing. You are doing OK!