Being an Educator During Uncertain Times
Returning to school in the midst of a pandemic
I have had August 24, 2020, marked on my calendar for a while now. On that date, I will return to the Utica College campus to teach classes for the first time since we transitioned to online instruction in March, due to the coronavirus pandemic. My classes will be set up in hybrid format, meaning that half of my students will be in the classroom, while the other half will join the class in real-time via Zoom. Hybrid instruction allows for classroom sizes to be smaller, facilitating social distancing.
I am gratified and excited to be in the classroom again, although it will be different. It needs to be, to keep the students, faculty, and staff, as safe as possible. From my perspective, the roll-out plan for faculty and staff to return to campus has been thorough and effectively communicated by our college’s administration. As a former clinical supervisor who previously worked in state government, I have witnessed both well-implemented and poorly implemented plans. Poorly implemented plans usually result in uncertainty and chaos for those whom it is designed to help. And in the midst of the uncertainty and chaos that this pandemic has already created, it is essential that plans be well thought out, communicated, and implemented.
