Yep.
We are all online all the time for the rest of this semester. I understand and support the change, and yet, I’m a little sad that it’s come to this. I REALLY like teaching. I REALLY like the students I’ve been entrusted with, and I’m more than a bit put out that I’ll be interacting with them through the filter of the Interwebz.
Natch, I’ve taught more online than in person, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling down about the switcharoo. So, I will redouble my efforts to make this next few weeks as Freaking Great online as I can. No, I won’t sing, dance or otherwise compromise my professional demeanor (though there’s nothing WRONG with that…), but I will do more online ‘lectures’ than the usual.
A word or two about our university’s response.
It’s a clinic.
The communication from administration has been next to perfect. A balance of operational (we still have to fulfill our mission to educate and perform crucial research) and empathetic (let’s remember that not everyone has high speed internet, and that everyone is a bit emotionally compromised by a 100 year crisis in health.)
I’ll have the chance to talk about this more at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 26, when PRSA hosts a webinar on internal communication in the age of Covid-19. My dear colleague Becky Graebe from Dynamic Signal and and I will talk about best advice and practices, and another dear colleague Ally Bunin from Russell Reynolds Associates (and earlier of Northwell Health) will provide a case study in the informal but informative session.
The Big Idea though is to remember that this hasn’t happened on this scale since 1918. Yes, we’re a different world, certainly, but we are still talking about the potential for LOTS of death, illness and dislocation. We need to take this seriously for sure, and we need to support each other as best we can.
In the meantime, students, wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and keep an eye on Canvas.
