I'm teaching nearly 100 students first-year writing this term: five courses at three universities. All online.

Here's a short thread about what it's been like, trying to help my students through this SP21 semester. 1/

First off, I should note that the schools where I teach are all different. One is a private university in Cambridge, MA. One is a MA state university. One is fully online. 2/

Most of my students seem to be doing fine. That is, a majority attend weekly class sessions and complete assignments on time, without much need for me to reach out or check in. It's very impressive. And I really enjoy our online correspondence through submissions & evalutions. 3/

I can't say that I enjoy teaching live sessions on Zoom, but one bright spot has been the chat feature, which has allowed for a more informal level of conversation and discussion, which I love. 4/

About 1 in 10 of my students have dropped off the map: no attendance, no submissions, no response to outreach--for several weeks now. I find this so painful, because I know they are going through a lot, and I feel helpless. 5/

It's especially difficult because there is no good resolution. I cannot award a passing grade. An "incomplete" in these situations usually leads the student to a worse situation further down the road. And it is unclear whether they will withdraw. 6/

However, there also seems to be a space between those students who seem to be doing fine with online learning and those students who have fallen away from the course. 7/

These are my students who have fallen behind--missed several classes but attended others; who are dealing with difficult work / family / mental health situations; who couldn't complete a big assignment; who didn't respond to my first email, but replied to the second one. 8/

And as we reach the end of the semester, I have been just thrilled to see so many of these students pull through. They are finding ways to attend class; to complete work late; to check in with me and come up with a plan. 9/

We still have two weeks left in the semester yet, but at this point, it looks as though 85-90% of my students are going to make it through the term and do well. Some are excelling. Some are consistently very good. Others are just making it through, dammit. 10/

This semester has been incredibly difficult. The worst semester for many students and teachers, I am sure. I've had my share of frustrations, most definitely. 11/

But as we near the end of the term, I am so incredibly proud of my students who have made it through--and proud that some of my own outreach has paid off. And then, I send my thoughts and well wishes to those who could not participate--who had other, more important concerns. 12/

I guess the main point I am trying to make--
In my experience, this semester has required an unusual amount of outreach and flexibility when working with about 1/3 of my students. At times, it's been frustrating to feel like those efforts are in vain. 13/

But as we reach the end of the school year, I am seeing many of my students catching up and finishing the term on a positive note. It's a testament to their strength and what they can do with just a bit of support and grace. 14/14