New tools like Teams present both new challenges and new opportunities for the ways in which we teach. In order to feel confident teaching in an online platform, I have worked to familiarize myself with these online tools and modalities and adapt lesson plans and, more generally, my teaching style to online teaching.
In terms of resources, I have definitely been fortunate to facilitate labs at UVM. Not only does the school have many resources available, but it is also located in an area that lends itself to teaching about natural resources and ecology. In comparison, it would require much more creativity and flexibility to teach about ecology in an urban area. In order to adapt, I would shift the scale of labs to focus on smaller “pieces” of nature found within urban areas (i.e. public parks) and focus more on the ways in which nature and culture interact. The book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon describes how limitations inspire creativity, and it is interesting to think about what new insights might come out of “paring down” lessons to accommodate limited resources.
Checking in with students is particularly important during COVID times. Online teaching requires more flexibility on the part of educators because students are being forced to adapt to new ways of learning and new ways of living. It can be a tricky balance to acknowledge the strange circumstances we are living in while still maintaining some sense of normalcy. I think that being patient with each other goes a long way. Not only does this provide a safe space for students to learn and adapt, but it exemplifies how students should be interacting with others. Educator Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s has a mantra: “So what? Now what?”. I can’t change the circumstances for myself or for students, but I can figure out how to make the most of them.
