Back to School COVID edition

In a normal back-to-school frenzy, I would be stressing about my teaching assignment and preparing documents like syllabi. I also have a tendency to stress about all the things I put on my summer to-do list that I didn't finish.

This year I have a baby AND there's a raging epidemic in our country. How that changes things is that my department has posted the teaching schedule about a month earlier than usual. This is great because I can start working on my Canvas sites weeks before classes start rather than days. This is particularly great with my baby because I have to work in small (~15 minute) chunks rather than in marathon sessions like I used to.

Due to COVID, my students will only meet me via Zoom. I will have to go to campus for my lab, which meets from 5:30-8:20pm on Tuesday and Thursday. I will be teaching CHEM 100 lectures (introductory chemistry) from home on Monday and Wednesday from 4:30-5:45pm. I will be teaching SCIENCE 100 lectures (Freshman Seminar) from home on Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-3:15pm.

I have been using Zoom all spring and summer with my family and mom fitness group. I feel confident that I will be able to run the class. Here are some recommendations that were compiled by exit interviews with ~350 students.

1. Discuss class norms on day one

2. Email students regularly

3. Send motivational messages via Canvas Insights

4. Use images or videos on slides instead of text

5. Give a 5-10 minute break in a 75 minute class

6. Make Zoom link easy to find on Canvas homepage

7. Have Canvas page populate gradually. Seeing the whole semesters content is too overwhelming 

8. Use the whiteboard feature to show problem solving

9. Use polling for student engagement but do not use too many different softwares

10. Consider Zoom breakout rooms and Google docs for groupwork

11. Record and post class meetings

12. Be flexible with exam times

13. Consider "Remind" app for students to communicate with each other outside of class

14. Build in social-emotional support. Let them talk off-topic in breakout room for a few minutes before diving into material. Tell jokes and give motivational pep talks. 

Yes, I could have cut and pasted these, but I wanted to type them out and paraphrase in hopes that the message would penetrate my brain more deeply and permanently.