I taught archaeology method and theory this semester. Originally, students were going to collectively analyze the last 30 yrs of American Antiquity and write individual papers on trends they found. Then #Covid_19 hit and students lost internet & library access 1/14

The assignment needed everyone to do their part, and many students just couldn’t anymore, for a variety of reasons. Like many, I had to make a pedagogical shift that responded to this moment with humanity and care for students being first and foremost 2/14

So, for their final I asked students to reflect on the material and social changes caused by #Covid_19, what this might look like archaeologically, and to think about which of the theoretical approaches we discussed helped them to best understand these changes 3/14

I told them this could take the form of a research paper or a series of journal entries, they could type it up and submit through our LMS, or hand write and send me photos. 4/14

Essentially I was unconcerned with the format, I just wanted to give them space to breathe, and to think about how archaeology can help us make sense of the world, both past and present. 5/14

Students wrote about discarded masks and gloves, decreases in take-out packaging or fast food wrappers, increases in plastic waste, empty store shelves, less paper waste as everything went digital, and mass graves. 6/14

They wrote about how their behaviors have changed - more home-cooked meals, utilizing more reusable products - both a result of more time at home, limited resources, and greater awareness of their consumption habits 7/14

They wrote of the psychological stresses of missing daily habits, limited social interactions, unstable home environments, uncertain futures post-graduation, and the constant news cycle 8/14

But also of the hidden blessings in extra time at home, being able to focus on family, shorter commutes, and a chance to try new hobbies 9/14

They also wrote of anger - at poor government response, structural inequalities that sacrifice black/brown/indigenous/immigrant bodies on the altar of “economic recovery”, and selfish people putting others at risk 10/14

I thought students might settle on one or two theoretical perspectives, but nearly every paper selected something different- Marxism, practice and agency, object agency, personhood, materiality, post/decolonial & indigenous perspectives, etc. 11/14

And, you know what, I think that diversity means I did my job. Students understand that many theories can be appropriately applied to understand a situation/data set. Social theory is a big umbrella 12/14

And now the semester is over and we all walk away/lose access to our shared digital space, and I just want to hug every one of them and hope we get through this okay 13/14

Anyway, thanks to @CraigNCipolla and @OJTH for their book and many many people for the articles/chapters we read. One of these years I’ll be able to do this class without a mid-semester disruption 14/14