12 months of WFH and online teaching what have I learned?
A personal perspective of life as a College Teacher during Covid-19
On March 12th 2020 the then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar announced the closure of all educational institutions due to the now infamous Covid-19 virus. I was driving to work as I listened to the announcement. Some of my students were on work experience that day so I had enjoyed a rare lie-in.
As I walked into the college I could feel a palpable sense of panic, how was this going to work?
I had been coughing incessantly for weeks, and didn’t meet the criteria for a covid test at the time and so was told I could continue to work without any fears. (I still wonder though)
As I walked into the college I could feel a palpable sense of panic, how was this going to work, students were nearing year-end, they still needed to reach assignment deadlines, learning outcomes and to do that many would need access to on campus facilities TV and art studios to name a few. I felt ill to the pit of my stomach, and faced my panic stricken students with as much positivity as I could muster.
As a Lecturer I felt very lucky, I had already been using what we call a virtual learning environment, in my case Microsoft Teams and had in anticipation of the closure trained the students in how to access online in person classes. I felt the only fair thing to do was keep things as normal as possible and so stick to the timetable and instead of in real life classes do virtual ones instead.
My logic was rather basic, we could get through to the end of the year and get the work done if I could keep the students talking. For most students in my experience it worked, however there was a drop off, the jump proved too steep for many.
I naively thought it would be like going back to my days as a full-time Journalist. I was used to sitting in front of a computer writing all day and then going home to study or to work some more. I assess my students by continuous assessment so there were no exams to worry about. How hard could this be?
What I had forgotten was there are some students for whom the college campus is a sanctuary. For others, their only access to a physical computer other than their phone was in college. The students with mental health difficulties, who gained comfort from being able to share in class, and meet with real-life people every day.
On a personal level I also failed to recognise how working from home (WFH) would affect me directly.
At the time I had just moved in with a friend after living with my folks for the previous few years to help mind my dad, but while he was still unwell I couldn't take the commute any more and had moved to the city that January.
On the day in question, I finished work, drove back to the apartment, rang dad on the way and asked could I come home. I was afraid of being stuck in Dublin if the worst were to happen to either of my parents. I packed up as quickly as possible (knowing traffic would be chaotic). I then drove to my nearby Supervalu (a chain of supermarkets here in Ireland) that had all my favourite Japanese foods, I mean in a time of crisis this woman needs sushi, and then hit the road to Tullamore.
Those first few weeks were draining, my students were terrified and very stressed about getting their work done. I tried to be as supportive as possible but when you can’t simply sit down with them in person and talk things out face to face it’s harder. We’ve all become used to video calling but still when faced with a student in distress, that level of distance is extremely stressful.
I should say I was very lucky to have my own office to work from at home, and even though I was outside the capital, some would argue in the sticks, I had excellent internet access. The weather though was fabulous and so I started walking twice a day, there’s a loop that’s not quite 2km near the house so like clockwork I would say “bye guys, stay safe and remember I’m here if you need me” at the end of every class and the dog knew it was time to stretch our legs. To this day every time I say goodbye she gets excited.
Due to my status as being very high risk of serious disease or death I was cocooning along with my dad with mum doing all the shopping and no Deliveroo does not come to Tullamore! It was like being infantilised, I lost my independence, couldn't go to the shop for the newspaper, I found it extremely hard. I was raised to put on a positive attitude and simply get on with it, I could see how stressed my family was, how much my parents missed their friends and family and we all missed simple things like a coffee in the staff room or the craic in the classroom. It was far from easy.
However, for the first time in my life it was an opportunity to manage my own time to some extent. Up until last March I had always worked to someone else’s timetable, and then with the exception of my class timetable I could do what I want with my days, I started making art again, and all of a sudden found myself becoming more energised and more productive. Looking back I don’t know how I managed teaching full time, marking papers, attending meetings, studying at night (oh yes it wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t back in college) and working for my clients.
I was incredibly lucky, six days before the college closed, I had gone sale agreed on my first home of my own. The whole way through lockdown I didn’t actually think it would happen, but it was something positive to focus on and that goal, that light at the end of the tunnel gave me something to aim for.
I felt guilty that as a very high-risk person I couldn’t even chance popping in when the Government allowed me to even just say hello to them in person.
Roll on September I had renovated and moved into said home, we’d been in and out of lockdown more times that I can count and you guessed it I was still working from home. This time around I invested in an office chair, it cost a fortune but has helped at least reduce some of my trips to the chiropractor crying in pain and complaining about working from home.
However the positivity I had last March had lost its energy, in my heart of hearts I knew I was facing into an academic year of teaching my students online and I could feel just how disappointed they were at the prospect. I felt guilty that as a high-risk person I couldn’t even chance popping in when the Government allowed me to even just say hello to them in person.
The days have been very long and the classes more intense. Students have nowhere else to be so attendance has been consistently high this year and that’s fantastic. Their frustration however is palpable. They have missed the opportunity to practice networking with each other, to go out on work placement, to have a normal life. To use the words of one student they feel forgotten about. “The media coverage is totally focused on school kids, but what about us, we’ve lost something too!”
For my part I have tried to stay consistent, so that at least they know where they stand and can trust that regardless of what happens with Covid they can still have a bit of banter in class. I’m mindful of the fact that for most of them, like me they don’t see anyone else other than online every day. Their only real connection with the outside world is their online classes. They’ve been absolutely fantastic, but know that there are so many practical activities I would’ve liked to do with them in real life if things were different.
So what have I learned?
Always start class by asking how they are doing.
Keep class as interactive as possible, didactic lectures simply don’t work online.
Replace slideshows with videos and practical activities they can do from home.
Be open to sharing the fact that you too are finding this very tough.
Allow time at the end of class for students to ask the questions, they would normally approach you in the corridors about.
Effective time management is key.
Practice yoga every day and your back will thank you for it. WFH = expensive trips to physio and chiropractors for said back.
Constant straining at the computer means my eyes are exhausted, so eye drops are key.
Patience may be a virtue but it’s a requirement for this gig.
Everything takes longer, and that’s ok.
I have also realised I gain much more energy than I realised from interacting with other people, students included.
It’s been a rollercoaster of 12 months work wise and personally. I’ve battled poor health as a direct result of sitting for hours on end. I’ve bought my own home, and launched my own podcast Ireland Creates and unfortunately I lost my Dad to sepsis.
Would I change anything? Of course I would, and I can not wait to get my vaccine. However, I still believe keeping the lines of communication open with students, third level included, is the key to getting through all of this, something that our Government could learn from.
Aisling O’ Rourke is the host of Ireland Creates a podcast about Ireland’s storytellers and a lecturer and coach in Media and Photography. www.aislingorourke.com
