Humans, Dogs, and Cats

As many of us switch to remote teaching and learning, distractions are something that we may be learning to manage. This is especially true in the event that we have not previously worked out of our homes.

We may have managed to work out schedules and agreements with our spouses/partners/roommates and/or children. If you haven't yet figured this out, here are a few tips for the humans in your new workplace.

Working with your Spouse/Partner

Here it is important to stake out your separate spaces. If you live and work in a small space, then carve out your own separate spots on different chairs, and hopefully different tables. If you live together in a very small space, then consider one working on the eating area table, and one working from a couch or chair. Either way, you need your separate space.

You will also need to respect each other's time, space, and work. This means that you need to recognize that you are each at work, and do not interfere or comment on the work unless asked. Do not be a distraction. This is not the time to ask your spouse to do housework, or anything else you would not do at work. Keep your work time for work, and your personal time for personal time. 

Make jokes, and have some fun at breaks. The other day, my husband and I jokingly greeted each other as though we were at work with "Hi! How are you? So good to see you again. I have to run, but hopefully we can find time for coffee or lunch together soon"! This helped lighten the mood, since we do actually miss being around our colleagues, and we are in the middle of a stressful situation.

Working with Kids

I would not presume to tell anyone how to raise their kids, as my own have only had fur, four legs, and a tail. Instead, I will provide you with some links, and ask that you share any tips or links that you have found helpful in the comments below.

• The triple duty: Working Parenting, and Teaching from home
• Working at home with a toddler

 What I can recommend is to find a support group of similar parents, and look for online groups for supportive tips and humour. We all need humour right now, right?

Working with Pets

Currently, social media is full of humourous posts about working at home with pets. Some love the fact that their humans are at home now, as there is more opportunity for walks, playing, laps, and treats. Others are not so sure this is a good idea, since it is interfering with their naps. You may need to help your pets establish some ground rules, and it is not as simple as telling them and working out a contract. Here are some tips:

• For dogs: Walks are important, and usually around 30 minutes. Go for one before work, during your lunch break, and after work. Give them something to eat, or play with, during your conference calls. You may need to keep them in a separate room, or with a house-mate when you have such calls. 
• For cats: Set up a spot for your cat that involves comfort and sunshine (if at all possible). The space should not be your keyboard, as that will make work impossible. Similar to dogs, cats need play time and attention, so schedule those into the morning, at lunch time or during a coffee break, etc. Really, though, cats sleep around 16-18 hours per day, so they are somewhat easier in terms of the hours they spend being active. 

Note that all of this activity can also help you ward off the potential expansion due to working from home and being socially distant. (See my Behavioral Geek posting here for more tips.)

Now, it may be that your pet acts differently for a few days as you both adjust to the new routine. Remember, they may have had the run of the house for 8-10 hours per day in the past, and now you are present most of the day. Give yourself and your pets time to adjust.

Final Note

Remember that you and your other humans, as well as the dogs, cats, and other pets, all need time to adjust. It will take time, but you will get there. Be patient, kind, and keep a plan. However, if the plan is not working, then be prepared to adjust it. So, be flexible too.

If you have any further tips, tricks, or comments, please feel free to leave them below.

Be well, stay safe, and look after yourselves!

D. E. Crone-Todd

Transitions to Remote Learning in the Era of COVID-19

Where We Find Ourselves

If you are like me, perhaps at first you thought that things would not get as bad as in other parts of the world concerning the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). How quickly my own understanding of the situation changed as I read the reports coming from colleagues in Italy and other countries. As my understanding evolved in this fluid, shifting time, I learned several things: 

• It is important to distance ourselves socially at this time to prevent everyone from becoming sick and over-taking the healthcare systems in our countries. (Here is a link to social distancing, explained.)
• It is unclear how long this will take. This makes it even more stressful when there is uncertainty. So, let's communicate clearly and effectively, and let each other know what we know and what we are still learning. That's the best we can do. 
• We all need help adjusting. All of us. (Here is a related blog post on my general "Behavioral Geek" page about self-regulation ideas during this time.) 

So, my hope is to provide just an introduction to thinking about a transition to online modalities in our courses. It is certainly neither complete nor perfect; however, it is a start. Much like some of you may find when making this switch. That's all right - everyone is in this together. With common goals and good intentions, we can work this out.

First Things First
Remember, you are a valued instructor. You teach the course that you teach because you have some expertise and/or quality that is valued by your institution. You designed your course the way you did most likely because it would work out well for everyone involved. So, that is still your goal. With that in mind, please remember the following:

• You do not have to be perfect. This is impossible. You need to simply work with your department, college/school, or university to figure out the best way to do this. Just because Professor X is teaching with full functionality with respect to a learning management system, Zoom, YouTube videos, and so forth, this does not mean you need to do so. However, if you want to try out something new, you can probably ask Professor X. 
• The course does not have to be perfect. Courses rarely are perfect. Ask any professor or student, and I'm sure you will hear a variety of responses. Now that we are shifting from some completely Face-to-Face (F2F) formats to remote modalities, simply keep the goals of your course at the forefront of your planning. What is in the course description? Let that lead you to make decisions. 

Consider Yourself and Your Students
As you contemplate how to provide your course remotely, remember what your responsibilities to the course and to yourself are during this time. Whether full-time or part-time, you juggle many responsibilities. In teaching a course, there are hours per week that you devote to that endeavor, as well as preparation, grading, etc. You also have other professional and personal responsibilities. So, mark out the time to devote in a meaningful way to helping make this happen.

Remember, too, that your students have both a responsibility to their studies and to their personal obligations. For all of us, these obligations may have undergone a Big Shift related to remote learning, teaching, work, and otherwise. Some students, or their families, may be undergoing historic shifts in how they live, work, etc.

Also, just as faculty members may have varying degrees of familiarity and experience with online learning, so too do students. So, just as you might be learning some new ways to do things, remember that your students will need an introduction to this new way too. You can help them through this by thinking about how to deliver your course remotely, and how to be clear in communicating and showing them how to do it. 

What Does This Mean?
At this point, you may be wondering how you will actually offer your course. This is a decision that you need to make, and it can involve various methods. Here are a few, depending on the level of familiarity that you and your students may have with online learning:

• No Familiarity: Consider the provision of instructions by email, and submission by either email or snail-mail. (This is important if some students do not have access to electronics. (See this post about Berea College, which serves a population of students who are not necessarily all able to afford the technology needed for an online delivery.) 
• Some Familiarity: Consider using a learning management system, such as Canvas, etc., that your institution uses to set up assignments for submission, and possible discussion groups. You could also provide online lectures that are in real-time using Zoom or a similar platform for real time (synchronous) lectures/discussions, or an uploaded video of your lecture to YouTube. You can check with your institutions' technology offices to obtain help with this. In this case, choose one or more option here.  
• Full Familiarity: If you have already been using these platforms, then consider adding chat rooms, discussion boards, online quizzes, and using any modality that makes sense to you. Don't rework your entire class, though. Make it something that transitions easily from your current mode of delivery into finishing the semester online.  Remember: Don't stress yourself or your students out even more!

A few final thoughts...
This is a time to communicate with your students. Let them know what you are doing, what steps you are going to take, and that you will send out the information when you have it. Remember that good teaching is about being clear, flexible, and compassionate. (For more on these tips of tips, see this article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.) 

We are in for a bumpy ride. Let's fasten our seatbelts, read the safety manual, and remember to look after ourselves and others. With common goals, good intentions, and a clear, compassionate plan, we will help everyone get through the rest of this semester. If we can do that, we will have become a little more resilient, and helped our students to do so as well.

Be safe. Be well. Also, let me know if there are any other topics you would like covered. I will do my best to do so in the coming days and week.  

D. E.  Crone-Todd, Ph.D.