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First in-person lecture complete. It was odd. But I have tips. This is a thread of my experience.
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Instructor before me used permanent marker on white board, which caused a kerfuffle and prevented me from setting up at the computer. Then he forgot his flash drive. And then forgot to wipe down everything. Plan for kerfuffles and get their as early as safely possible.
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Students complied with all preventive measures by the university. Masks on. Sitting in designated seat. That& #39;s good. The room was also equipped with sanitizing wipes. Also good.
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Students did NOT know they were supposed to wipe their desks. When instructed, they did. Glad I prompted it. Be sure to prompt your students! And direct them to things like wipes. They might assume the people before them did (from what I observed, the previous class did not).
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I had 20 students, seated in a room that holds 350-ish. I would typically prompt folks to move closer to the front, but ... this is COVID. Use a lavalier mic. But sanitize it first.
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Ask students to raise their hand with some getting-to-know-you poll questions. How many are first semester on-campus students? (Majority). How many have this class as their ONLY in-person class. (Majority). Their entire "campus" education experience is my class. No pressure...
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Invest in a good mask. I don& #39;t know what one entails, because I thought mine was good. But lecturing in a mask is AWFUL. It is hot and required me to pause to catch my breath every few minutes. It gets sweaty and works its way down your face, causing you to adjust. Not good.
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Pop some breath mints in your mouth before putting on your mask. The pre-lecture coffee ritual will give you coffee breath in your mask. Not good. Very not good. And I was uncomfortable bringing a water bottle as that would require mask removal. Expect dry mouth. Mints!
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Ask students to ask you to stop and clarify anything if they can& #39;t understand you. Plexiglass barriers muffle your voice, which is already muffled due to the mask. Again, a great reason for a lavalier mic. I feel bad for folks w/ hearing difficulties or English as 2nd language
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Tell students that you appreciate that they might want to introduce themselves to you at end of class, but to do so via email. Students were eager to chat, but I couldn& #39;t make out anything they said from the other side of the plexiglass. Sad. I enjoy that aspect of class.
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Remind students to exit in an organized manner, and to wipe down their stuff before leaving. They were happy to do so, but needed the reminder.
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Be kind and understanding and patient. I feel so sorry for the first-semester students who are getting THIS as their glimpse into college instruction. Be clear that you understand these are strange times and that you& #39;ll exercise ample flexibility (and do so).
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It was impossible to "read the room" given masks and social distancing. I have no idea whether students smirked at jokes. Masks hide facial expression. Ask students to stop you if you& #39;re not making sense, since you can& #39;t read their faces from the front of the room.
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In sum, I felt safe. Students seemed to feel safe. But it was awkward, clumsy, and uncomfortable. This isn& #39;t a typical college experience, and several of my in-person students have asked to switch to my online section. Not because of me, but because of the setting. Be safe!
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