Anticipate the Unexpected
For teachers and students in this upside-down world, we have to think about how to anticipate the unexpected.
For your upcoming course—think about…
What if you are sick? Right now we have to be very careful to not get run down, and to stay healthy. If you are sick, as an instructor, have a plan in place.
- Think now about creating a lesson that can be more peer-directed. This lesson can tie into your course objectives, but it take a different perspective that allows the lesson to be ‘inserted’ when you need it. Think about a reflection or sharing exercise, perhaps allowing students to share how their own research or interests align with the newer material in the course. You may already have an existing lesson you can pull from its sequence in the syllabus and modify slightly by adding a video or other resource. This lesson would be your back-up plan, and if not needed will still be part of the syllabus.
- Consider making a video. If you are comfortable, make a video or very short (under 2.5 min) podcast type of recording that tells students you are speaking to them from the future, and that you need a week off so XX is what they will be doing this week. Have a way they can contact yourself, or another faculty that partners with you if necessary, and assure them you are monitoring their discussions.
- Plan a week students will work on their cumulative assignment: just insert that week when you need it, with ideas for how they can continue to work and suggestions for talking to their peers about their ideas and challenges.
- Ask for help; our Online Learning Team or even one of your colleagues can assist now, with planning or sharing a back up lesson; or when you are not well, with monitoring a chat, discussion or activity. Remember we are all part of a team.
- Remember that at OISE we are thinking about how to be educators; this is a time that students can see faculty modelling work-life-crisis! balance and it is okay to work together to figure out some of the balancing.