Teacher Diaries, Entry 2: A series of unfortunate events, aka The Worst Start To A Class In My Entire Career
by Mia Tarau
From standard ESL blog posts to real-life post-PhD tertiary experiences: welcome to a new series, from the mind of a young teacher with a true passion for what she does
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27 September 2022
Dear Diary,
Today has been CHAOS.
WORST. START. TO. A. CLASS. IN. MY. ENTIRE. CAREER. TO. DATE.
I was covering for a teacher – it was a subject that I don’t normally teach. The day was supposed to go well – it was supposed to just be me supervising the students while they completed a series of tasks.
Hybrid delivery. New student intake – week two of their new course.
I get to class early to set up. Only one PC, fixed webcam. No equipment to show the online students their peers in the classroom. I set up – it takes me five minutes to log in and open all the tabs and apps needed to run the class.
Computer crashes.
5 minutes until class start time.
I restart the computer. It crashes 3 more times in a row.
I call for help – IT department not there.
It’s already 10 minutes into the class. Zoom students waiting online. I message them from my own phone – technical difficulties, thank you for your patience – will start as soon as possible. They wait politely, patiently.
15 minutes into the class. Support team present, can’t fix PC issues. Equipment down.
We are directed into a different classroom. Available room is too small for my student cohort. We bring extra desks and chairs from the initial classroom, but we are crammed into a room that is MUCH too small, once again with only one PC with a fixed camera aimed at the teacher. If I leave the PC to monitor the students present in class, the Zoom students will be left alone, isolated, unable to see me or their classmates.
NONE OF THIS IS MY FAULT, BUT I AM THE ONE FEELING HORRIBLE.
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BONUS: Some students had been assigned to the class in week 2 only; they are unfamiliar with the system, and behind on their homework.
I am dying on the inside. However, I am an experienced teacher.
I take a DEEP breath: time for some damage control.
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I start the class over, 25 minutes late by this point, by cracking a joke. I welcome everyone AGAIN, and I play a clip from a sitcom related to the course content. Smiles appear on my students’ faces.
For the students who are ready for Week 2, I run a quick recap of the learning platforms and tools required for the completion of the tasks set out for them for the day. Both Zoom and on-campus students set – they begin their study session.
I then guide the students who had missed Week 1 through the tutorials, and I show them where to find and how to use the materials for the Week 1 content that they have missed. Their task for the rest of the day: to catch up, which they are more than happy to do.
By this point, it is already time for a break – Hour One of the two-hour teaching block over. Actual tasks completed by ANYONE in the class: ZERO.
HOWEVER, I count my blessings: all the students seem eager to listen and follow instructions; no attitude, but plenty of smiles, and a warm, friendly classroom atmosphere. Things are looking up.
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HOUR 2: No more glitches, I have time to check on all three groups: Zoom, on-campus since week 1, and newbies. They are all carrying on, chatting away happily and helping each other while doing their tasks. I monitor and help as needed, splitting my time between the online and on-campus cohorts. Counting my blessings again: Hour 2, compared to the first lesson, a resounding success!
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How I dealt with the mess:
· At the beginning of the class, I reported the situation to the IT team and to the classroom support team at reception.
· As soon as I had time to collect myself, when all students were completing their respective tasks, I reported the situation to the course coordinator.
· The next day, I reported the situation to all course coordinators, pointing out the fact that if the institution demands hybrid delivery, teachers should be given the means to carry out their teaching duties in hybrid mode.
· I also shared the experience with other teachers throughout the following day; we all bonded over these mishaps, which appear to be a daily issue this new term – which is the first term for this particular institute to deliver courses in hybrid mode.
Reflection:
I HAD taught in hybrid delivery mode before, but that respective department had provided the resources needed for smooth sailing in the classroom, so this was the first time in the two years of teaching in hybrid mode that this happened to me. That was the day I learned that some institutions are more equal than others when it comes to the teaching realities after Covid.
On a positive note, I am pleased with my ability to save a sinking ship last minute by using my humour and my sunny disposition, even in a crisis. I am also grateful for the type of class I had to teach on this unlucky day: I was pleasantly surprised by how patient and eager to do their work all the students were.
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Dear Diary,
I am grateful for what I learned on that day, even though I had hoped never to live a teacher day of this kind.
I am also hopeful that the feedback that I provided to the various departments on the day will mean that this never has to happen to my fellow teachers with less experience in teaching hybrid classes
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What was the WORST teaching day in your career, and how did you cope?