Yes, you are exhausted, but it's not Zoom's fault!

There are plenty of articles being written right now about "Zoom Fatigue". Like this one.

Don't be so quick to point a finger at Zoom. (Or Teams, or Meet, or House party, or....)

Do you remember your first year of teaching? (Or your first day on the job for those of you who are not teachers.) I do, because I went through it twice. And now so are you.

Remember when you arrived in your first classroom and all the things you had studied in teacher's college had barely prepared you for the reality? (Redeemer, you did a great job!)

• You don't even have that right now! How many of the courses you took in teacher's college prepared you to be a fully virtual teacher?

Then, remember how hard it was in that first year? How overwhelmed you were? How so many of your ideas just didn't work? Remember when that colleague from down the hall stepped in and gave you a hand, and what a difference that made? (Thanks Pauline and Faith, I wouldn't be here without you!)

• Where exactly in your school are the highly experienced teachers with years of teaching online who you can lean on? Wait, you're all first year teachers!

Remember when you were lost in the staff meeting, or forgot about your yard duty, or had a difficult meeting with a parent? Remember that experienced principal who leaned in and gave you a tool, some advice, or just plain took care of it for you? (Thanks George and Marianne! I never would have made it without you!)

• None of your principals know how to do this either!

So, you are experiencing your first year of teaching all over again. Only this time it was sprung on you as a surprise, you only had days to prepare, and you have none of the supports you would normally have.

Of course you are exhausted!

Is Zoom hard to get used to? Yes, but I don't think that's why teachers are exhausted.