Challenges, discipline and willingness to experiment : TalTech lecturers on their lockdown routines
The rumor has it we are to stay in a lockdown for at least two weeks longer than indicated by the initial date. It means we will have to hold on for some more time, read more books and watch more films, work on our abs or meditation skills, cook and bake, skype and join various online events, learn and spend time indoors.
We became curious about how our TalTech lecturers have adapted to the current situation, whether they work and private life have been influenced, and what they would advise others to make their days more productive.This material is prepared together with a Professor of Fiscal Governance Ringa Raudla and an Early-stage researcher from the Faculty of Law Javad Keypour. Have a glimpse into their lockdown routine and learn more about their personalities.
How current lock-down situation is influencing your work and personal life?
Ringa: In terms of social contacts, it has influenced it drastically. I am taking the social distancing guidelines very seriously. I have not physically met with any friends or family members for more than a month. Instead, I try to stay in touch with them via virtual means. I also avoid going to the stores as much as possible; instead, I order everything online. In terms of work, I have worked at home a lot in the past, so the adjustment was not that radical. For doing my research — especially for writing articles — I have always preferred to do it at home, in complete silence, uninterrupted. Now, I am also doing almost everything else from home.
Javad: Well, I usually adapt myself to the situations and changes. Although it was difficult to stay home at first, nowadays I try to do my ordinary research job from home. I have missed seeing colleagues and friends of course and my walking habit to walk in the old town during the weekend!
How different is your typical day right now?
Ringa: In my opinion, the key to having a productive day in the home office is to have a structured day. At the start of each day, I divide it into 1–2 hour blocks of different activities: writing grant proposals, doing research, reviewing articles for journals, administrative activities, teaching or preparing classes, giving feedback to students about their theses etc. In between the slots, I also answer all the incoming emails, listen to music, and try to get some exercise (yoga and walking). In the evenings, I use the time to stay in touch with family and friends, read the news, watch some Netflix and shows by comedians like Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers etc.
In addition, we have active communication going on with the members of Estonian Young Academy of Sciences (of which I am a member of), where we discuss the pandemic, the projections for the future, its implications, possible measures to curtail it, the experiences of other countries and so on. We share news, research and opinions. Our president communicates directly with the government, so the ideas of academics can also reach the practitioners.
Javad: Less talking, more reading and listening! In addition, I have been trying to participate in webinars more than I used to, and actually, the number of such events has grown in current conditions. Particularly, the oil market has been severely influenced by COVID-19 and this turned the oil market analyzing to the top of news, yet again. Since this is one of my main fields of interest, I have to follow the relevant news, updates, and reports and this means there are many things to do even in the lockdown.
Difficulties and opportunities of working remotely
Ringa: It did take some time to re-adjust and to get to know the different tools for online meetings and classes, but by now I am pretty much used to it. As the director of the PhD programme in Public Administration, I am also in charge of organizing PhD defences. We had our first ever fully virtual defence in early April and it went very well — much better than I expected. I have also tried to follow the mindset that since we are all experimenting with new modes of working, not everything works as perfectly as I would like it to. The situation has been a good practice to dial down my tendency for perfectionism. I do miss seeing and interacting with my colleagues in a non-virtual way and I also do miss my students and the ability to interact with them more directly. I have designed my classes to be very interactive and although it is possible to have some of it during my online classes over zoom as well, it is still not the same. Students seem to feel more comfortable speaking up in a class setting than during a zoom meeting.
I am used to travelling a lot. For this year, all the international conferences I planned to attend have been cancelled. I will certainly miss the networking with my international colleagues.
Javad: Thanks to e-platforms available for teaching and participating in the lectures, I try to continue my teaching job as it used to be. But obviously, teaching in the real classroom, where you can make eye-contact and interact with students in person is what I prefer. It is not always easy to motivate students to actively ask questions and express their opinion in a regular classroom setting, let alone in the current situation. This is probably the biggest challenge for me as a lecturer, especially because involving students in the lecture is crucial.
Unfortunately, I had to cancel my Erasmus+ teaching trip in April and we also missed the chance to have an invited lecturer during Taltech teaching week. A couple of other conferences that I was supposed to participate in have been suspended so far. However, I think this is one of the situations that you have to accept, just for the sake of public health.
Students and e-learning
Ringa: So far, my students have adjusted very well. In the case of our PhD seminar, in fact, we have even more participants in the zoom meetings than we had in the physical setting in the past. So that has been a welcome development and we are planning to implement a hybrid version of the seminar (part virtual, part physical), so that more people can attend.
Since some of our students are actively involved in dealing with the crisis as part of their work tasks and have increased workloads, I have tried to be accommodating with the deadlines for assignments etc. I also understand that many student’s productivity may be affected by them having to take care of their kids at home.
Javad: Fortunately, almost all those who used to participate in the class are doing so on the e-platform. I still have a few students who ask questions or actively interact, which is a good sign! We are following our ordinary plan, also when it comes to giving presentations by students. So, all and all we try to keep it alive!
Advantages of the current situation
Ringa: I have always been interested in meditation and training my mind. The current situation offers an opportunity to develop these skills further. The challenge is: how to remain present and focused in a situation of fundamental uncertainty and pervasive anxiety.
Javad: Maybe I read more than I used to, and I feel people care more about others contrary to the past. Information banks started giving access to their e-resources, often free of charge, which is really good. But generally, I like the situation to be over soon. It is better to keep the workplace and home separated and take advantage of the sunny weather in spring!
Lock-down tips
Ringa: What will help us through this crisis is empathy, solidarity, agility, willingness to experiment with new ways of doing things and learning from each other.
Javad:
· Being disciplined and ordered in all aspects is the crucial thing nowadays. It has a significant impact on your mood and spirit, even if it doesn’t seem so.
· Stay connected with other students, university, family, etc. This will give you the motivation to fulfill your studies and assignments.
· It is a good time to read, particularly those books that you have wanted to read for a long time, but did not find time for it.
· Finally, it is critical to take care of your health both mentally and physically. There is no universal way, but you should find something that suits you personally.
