Looking back on COVID’s effect on Spring 2020 & beyond
Author: Arlene Vinion Dubiel
Our academic year is finally coming to a close – and what a year it has been! We have been operating in crisis mode for the past two months. But now we are finalizing grades, saying good-bye to our students, and putting this past year’s work away. Before we close the books on this year, it is imperative that we set ourselves up for future success by taking a moment to reflect.
We know reflection is important for learning. But how many of us consistently take the time to do it? This above all other years, it is necessary that we take the time to reflect on what worked, what could be improved upon, and how to prepare for the next time we’re called to do the impossible. There is a possibility that we could start with remote learning in the fall, so going through the past couple of months with an eye towards the future can help us prepare.
“Take the time to reflect on what worked, what could be improved upon, and how to prepare for the next time we’re called to do the impossible.”
This blog will guide you through writing a reflection about the past two months. Start it as soon as possible. The sooner you start your reflection, the more accurate your reflection will be. Write down your thoughts as a stream of consciousness for an audience of your future self. As you go through the past, keep an eye on the future using the phrase “next time” often.
To begin, first, choose whether you will go through each class individually or reflect on your teaching in general. Then decide if you want to reflect chronologically or by topic. Focus only on the past two months and think more globally before you think about individual lessons.
Here is a list of questions to get you started:
What were my students’ learning goals for the past two months? Most of us had to change our goals to keep them simple, focusing on only essential skills. Write down these learning goals and/or objectives using simple statements.
How well did my students achieve these learning goals? Focus on the evidence that you have to demonstrate whether or not students achieved the learning goals and/or objectives. You may include a judgement of your students’ performance this year respective to previous years.
What technical and personal issues did my students have? I had more individual emails from my college students in the past two months than I had in several years. Some were on technical issues, but many more were about challenges at home, the mental strain of isolation, or scheduling issues. Listing some of these challenges can help me prepare for similar situations in the future.
How engaged were my students with the content? If you are not sure, and you still have a few class periods left, ask them! What was their favorite activity? What did they learn most from? What kinds of activities would they want more of? Setting this up as a Google form where students can share anonymously can yield very honest results.
How well did I balance my students’ workload with my own workload? I learned very quickly that it takes a lot longer to evaluate work and provide feedback online than it does in class. So, I started using automatically scored assessments and reduced the amount of evidence from students that needed evaluation.
Now, take some time to think about individual lesson plans. Which lessons would I like to do again? Which lessons would I not want to repeat? Can I improve upon those lessons? What other resources could I use?*
Get a cup of your favorite beverage, sit down with a blank Word document or pad of paper, and take a quiet hour or two to reflect upon these past two months. Answer some of the questions posed above and write down your responses. This will be a good resource to go back to as you start to plan for fall.
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