“During COVID, I tried to lead by example
in showing compassion for myself and especially for my students. I
began by asking, ‘What might students be able to glean from my class now
that literally everything has changed?’ In the face of the pandemic, I
wanted to show leadership in the face of fear. While reminding students
of their assignments, I made sure to ask them, ‘How are you doing? No,
really, how are you?’ That question resonated with them and reminded me
that while I was isolated at home, helping my students mattered more
than ever. It was then that I realized the term ‘asynchronous’ did not
reflect reality. When my students signed on to class, it is a
synchronous moment for them. That realization changed my approach to
teaching. Rather than providing canned lectures, I took inspiration from
the Nike Run Club app, which provides guided runs - recordings that
make you feel like a running coach is alongside you. Since no such
resource existed, I built it myself, spinning up podcasts to guide
students through the process of setting up a basic time management
planner using a simple notebook. These included moments of humanity; to
tell my students they were doing a good job, and I worked to keep humor
and morale high in my classes. In doing so, I realized that teaching
online is anything but remote – it is, at its best, a holistic
realization of what education truly is: the practice of freedom.”
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