As I read your post, Dan, it really made me reflect on my time teaching during the pandemic and how that influenced my own decision to retire. Interestingly, I, too, found it both exciting and challenging to teach from home during the pandemic. I loved not commuting and having more time to leisurely approach my tasks or to take a break. I also found myself much calmer and more creative in my teaching. While, I, too struggled mightily without seeing students' faces, teaching communication enabled me to weave discussion around the topic of camera on/camera off. It was amazing to hear students' express their desire "not to both my classmates" with the amount of activity going in the background of their own lives thereby admitting how distracting their own environment was. I also doubled-down on instructing about the meaning of attention, focus, presence, and success. While some students didn't heed these lessons (or maybe not at the level I wanted them to), others did, and their success improved. My experience teaching online during the pandemic really influenced my teaching both online and when we returned to the classroom. It also made me realize how many policies, procedures and measurements of "success" didn't actually measure student learning. While that was frustrating, I was also emboldened to ask more questions and trust my intuition with my students and as department chair. I questioned more what I was being told we "had" to do, and I interacted with students individually more and more based on an article I'd read early in the pandemic that one of the outcomes of the switch to online learning would be increased desire for "individualized learning" (as opposed to the "conveyer belt" education most higher education institutions were used to). As a result, I felt was teaching more effectively even if the college's measures of "success" indicated less success (as more students dropped after we discussed their goals, their personal circumstances, what they needed to do to achieve a passing grade in the course, and I empowered them to make the appropriate choice for themselves). As I look back now, I'm glad I retired when I did and am forging an "encore career" that allows me to use all my knowledge and skills to coach/teach more freely, creatively and meaningfully.
I hope your retirement unleashes more creative, meaningfulness and freedom for you, too!!
Such great reflections Lauren! I'm sure many of us have our own experiences with teaching during the pandemic and the effects it had on us afterwards. There are many such stories to tell!
What a crazy time. Thanks for sharing. I’m sure the smoke blowing was funny as hell (to him).
Yeah, it made for a good story!
Those are the best!!!
That stupid pandemic certainly did change a lot of things on college campuses. I’m adjusting OK but it’s just not the same anymore.
You're so right Jeff. That's in part why I'll be retired in just over a week!
As I read your post, Dan, it really made me reflect on my time teaching during the pandemic and how that influenced my own decision to retire. Interestingly, I, too, found it both exciting and challenging to teach from home during the pandemic. I loved not commuting and having more time to leisurely approach my tasks or to take a break. I also found myself much calmer and more creative in my teaching. While, I, too struggled mightily without seeing students' faces, teaching communication enabled me to weave discussion around the topic of camera on/camera off. It was amazing to hear students' express their desire "not to both my classmates" with the amount of activity going in the background of their own lives thereby admitting how distracting their own environment was. I also doubled-down on instructing about the meaning of attention, focus, presence, and success. While some students didn't heed these lessons (or maybe not at the level I wanted them to), others did, and their success improved. My experience teaching online during the pandemic really influenced my teaching both online and when we returned to the classroom. It also made me realize how many policies, procedures and measurements of "success" didn't actually measure student learning. While that was frustrating, I was also emboldened to ask more questions and trust my intuition with my students and as department chair. I questioned more what I was being told we "had" to do, and I interacted with students individually more and more based on an article I'd read early in the pandemic that one of the outcomes of the switch to online learning would be increased desire for "individualized learning" (as opposed to the "conveyer belt" education most higher education institutions were used to). As a result, I felt was teaching more effectively even if the college's measures of "success" indicated less success (as more students dropped after we discussed their goals, their personal circumstances, what they needed to do to achieve a passing grade in the course, and I empowered them to make the appropriate choice for themselves). As I look back now, I'm glad I retired when I did and am forging an "encore career" that allows me to use all my knowledge and skills to coach/teach more freely, creatively and meaningfully.
I hope your retirement unleashes more creative, meaningfulness and freedom for you, too!!
Such great reflections Lauren! I'm sure many of us have our own experiences with teaching during the pandemic and the effects it had on us afterwards. There are many such stories to tell!