In Spring 2021, I decided to come back to campus and teach in-person. I was tired of the online and live online teaching and wanted a sense of normalcy. One of the ways that this was possible, at the time, was to teach with half my students attending in-person and the other half attending live online. Luckily the course that I chose to come back in-person to teach in this split modality was a course that I had taught numerous times. The biggest help of all was my amazing colleague at Phoenix College, Marcia Corby, who was willing to try the same thing on her campus. We both teach mathematics for elementary educators courses and we have worked together to build our curriculum for years. Our students who take these courses are on the path to one day be teachers in their own classroom at the elementary level. 

Marcia and I identified the problem early on as we brainstormed what this course would look like in a split modality.

Before we could answer this question we had to first figure out the logistics of teaching in both modalities at the same time. This requires reviewing the technology we had in our classrooms, getting everything printed that our students would need ahead of the course start date so the packets could be mailed out, setting up the classroom for the social distancing and activities, and setting student expectations that we would put in our syllabi. 

After we had PREPARED all the logistical issues for the course, we need to think about the TEACHING. This is much more difficult than picking between Zoom and Google Meets. We now had to think through the activities we did in person per pandemic in a live online space, how to build community when your class is in dual modalities, and how to effectively communicate to the students. 

This forced us to think through how to make every activity in our class accessible to our students that never set foot in our classroom. Thankfully Phoenix College was well prepared to embrace the virtual challenge with virtual manipulatives. Phoenix College has been curating a virtual manipulatives library for years and anything we did not find we asked if it could be built. We were lucky to have instructors outside of mathematics that were looking for coding projects for their students to complete. 

Modifying assignments was a huge undertaking and required us to think outside of the box or paper bag in this example. We took an in person simulation and modified it for the Online space. This required us to make videos to demonstrate the simulation that we would run with our class in person. It helped that the pandemic had already started us on changing all of our assignments. 

As you can tell the planning and thought process required to launch this course was intense but teaching it was a huge mental drain. Trying to attend to two different audiences simultaneously was difficult. Making “in the moment” changes had setbacks since you would then need to, on the spot, determine how to share and incorporate both spaces (in person and live online). When technology failed for students or us it was crippling in this format. 

Even though this undertaking was rough, Marcia and I have had some amazing things come from it.  Our HOME (Hands On Manipulative Exploration) Assignments became significantly better because we weren’t as leary of students operating with virtual manipulatives and we demoed how to use some of the virtual manipulatives. Students could attend class even if they were locked out of their car (true story). We even had students who would not have been able to take the course in the morning, due to work or family obligations, attend since they could enroll in the live online course. 

Overall this process of preparing and teaching in this split modality has strengthened our course materials and has made us consider teaching the course in different modalities in the future. 

The New Nursing Student 

Dr. Ingrid Simkins

All who enter nursing school 🏫 are taking a risk…they are rolling the 🎲🎲 and taking the gamble 🎰 that this profession they are seeking will be the fulfillment of a dream, a second career that brings satisfaction, an opportunity to make a difference and have a sense of purpose all while being able to provide for their family. The years of preparation that have led you to this moment may have felt akin to the butterflies you get in your stomach as you slowly make your way to the top of the rollercoaster🎢. You know what to expect, you tell yourself, you have assessed the situation, you have counted the number of hills, twists, and drops. You have researched the speed of this ride (2 years) and you know at the end will be the reward of your efforts as you reach your targeted goals 🎯. 

Calculated risks are still risks. What I have assessed in the new nursing student however, are those new areas of vulnerability that present themselves. You were an expert student, but now you are a novice again. You are learning new skills 💉, being watched and evaluated as you prove your knowledge and safe practices 💊 before you go off to clinical 🏥. You demonstrate your vulnerability when responding to the instructor’s questions, knowing you are taking the risk you may be incorrect or a skills check may not go as planned. You take a risk that the members in your group project will carry their weight and meet the deadlines so as to not poorly impact your grade. You take risks in forming new relationships with the people you will spend more time with than even some of your family members. 

In my humble opinion, the truly successful nursing students are the ones that take the opportunity to embrace risks even when there’s a chance of failure. They challenge themselves with new ways to process information through varied teaching, learning, and testing strategies. Successful students learn to trust their peers, teachers, and instincts. The most important risks one can take are those of self-evaluation and reflection; it is not always easy but having the confidence, humility, and wisdom to adapt and evolve will be what truly guides you on your path to success 🎓. 

The new Graduate Nurse

Dr. Mary Resler

I have to admit I am not much of a risk taker. I have lived a life of playing it safe and being conservative. However when taking care of patients and working in healthcare you are putting yourself at risk daily. There are policies and procedures that help support and prevent high risk situations.  There are standards of practice that you learn and test to, but nothing can quite prepare you for the realities of patient care. 

The worldwide pandemic has been a perfect example of the type of risks you are faced with as a nurse. The recent news coverage of the nurse who made a catastrophic medication error is another example of risk. These examples are not isolated events, they happen all the time. It is important as a new nurse that you hold to the standards of care and policies and procedures that are in place to help protect you and your patients from unnecessary risk.

The new Nurse Educator

Dr. Grace Paul

Taking risks can be exciting and fun to some, while it is terrifying for others. While taking on the role of a new nurse educator, there is fear and anxiety, there is this enormous expectation that is placed on the educator – the fear that we don’t know everything, the fear that the students may ask something and we will draw a blank! But unless we take that risk, we don’t know what it will be like, or if we will be successful. It is only when we take that plunge, we will know what is out there! Innovation comes from taking risks. As educators, if we don’t take the risk and accept challenges, we won’t know what we are capable of, and how we may effectively change the world. 

With the COVID pandemic, educators who have never taught outside of the classroom, overnight became great virtual educators. Educators used creativity and innovation to teach a hands-on nursing curriculum into a completely online modality. Tech companies came up with so many engaging platforms that were easy to incorporate into the online world. From taking the roll call, to teaching theory as well as lab classes, grading, tutoring all were changed into a virtual reality. As they say necessity is the mother of invention and innovation. That first step is terrifying, moving out of our comfort zone is not pleasant, but once we take that step, we will take that next step, and the next and so on.

Taking risks leads to positive changes, and we learn from our failures. The more risks we take, we realize that there are more possibilities out there, and there is purpose in life. There is definitely fear involved while taking risks. And while some fear is healthy, and makes us think of all the sides related to the risk, we have to get beyond the fear and take the chance. We won’t know the outcome unless we try it!

A little too wall-papery… Why would I have eleven copies of the same books…? Nope. 

How about…

Ah yes…! Looks nice. Arranged in a beautiful spectrum. Wait a minute… Swiss Graphic Design… Healthcare Spaces… Neubauwelt… I don’t know anything about these… What if someone asks me…? Pass.

 How about something with a skull? You know, the classic memento mori thing…

Uh… let’s see… ok, a skull… some kind of lizard… creepy bookcase design… something preserved in a jar… Uh, kind of cool, I guess… but no. 

Aha! 

Yes! Here it is! A messy black-hole swirl of books that just keep piling up and that, if I’m honest with myself, I know I’ll never get around to reading. 

Actually… Maybe I’ll just go with the first one. Less existential dread and all that stuff. 

(a monologue)

ALLEN (to the audience)

Dayna, we have no more time for YOU,

we need to talk about me!

Anders will be here, at the house, in five.

And I need your help. How do I let him down easily?

No, I know, I know we’ve only seen each other twice,

and spoke on the phone once,

but I’ve got to call it off.

I must break up with him or I’ll die!

He is nice, good looking, well-built, but he can’t spell.

Every text is full of errors.

I text him: what time are we meeting?

He texts: U. L. M. K. YOLO.

Yo-Lo? Is that like J Lo’s ugly cousin?

His bad grammar isn’t why I’m calling it off.

He’s a priest of pain!

He wants to exercise away my flab!

He’s an exERcist! An ex–er–cist!

He comes over, dragging from his previous client,

swinging his kettle BELLS left and right,

in and out between his legs,

and we get at it.

Always on the back porch. In the fresh air.

He says, “Ve need to feel nature! Cavemen did it. Ve can too, can’t ve.”

He’s an exercist, I tell you!

He sits me down, an hour every other day!

and we go over my last few days.

“Did VE drink eight glasses of water, or only seven?”

Who drinks eight!?

Imagine a caveman carrying a purple thermos,

and counting how much water he drank?

“Did VE take the stairs or the elevator?”

Who takes the stairs to the 11^th floor!?

Only Cavemen take stairs!

They wouldn’t do an elevator.

They wouldn’t know HOW to DO an elevator!

Did I tell you?

Anders insists bare feet are better for us.

He read it in some exercise magazine.

So, Anders insists I run everywhere in my bare feet.

In the house. On the sidewalk. Even in Safeway!

Barefeet

while waiting at the butchers to give me bacon!

Who knew Safeway had such cold floors!

OH, bare feet.

I hate my feet. I hate your feet!

Okay, not your feet, but feet in general.

It’s why we invented socks!

They’re hoodies for feet. Cover them up!

See, Anders and I don’t agree.

If fitness is a sacred cow,

Then I’m the butcher!

Fire up the grill!

I want to eat a greasy burger and fries

in my stocking feet!

Oh, I have to call this off.

I want to wear socks and shoes again!

I know, I could, but…

He makes me feel bad. I tell him, “Anders, I wore shoes to work.”

“Vaht!? Do VE think Mother Nature vants us vearing shoes? Isn’t that why grass is so soft?”

Grass is soft, until you step on a golf ball

and break your ankle!

Oh, he has this way of making me feel bad for taking naps.

And I love naps. A quickie in my office chair.

The power nap on the couch. Just give me one nano-nap after lunch.

Who doesn’t love a micro-nap during a Web-Ex meeting! LOOoooOOVE IT! OH– And on the weekend! To rock like a baby in my hammock! Wrapped in my hammock womb! That’s living!

But Anders—Nooooo. He won’t have it.

He’s A nap. Assassin!

I’m not saying, he’s not nice.

He is. Handsome. Muscular.

What any blonde Nordic caveman

would look like if he survived the Ice Age

and lived in Phoenix. A god—

But I can’t be with him—

I can’t do it.

The way he looks at me.

I can see it in his very chill icy blue eyes.

The judgement on how I’m so unnaturally lazy.

BUT, Dayna, dear.

I’m doing what we evolved to do—

save energy for the fun things.

Like two martinis,

with some Jacques Pépin foie gras,

a cream sauce over a bed of noodles

for dinner!!

Lifting kettle bells is NOT what I evolved to do.

Doing sit ups? Sit-up? I’d rather roll over!

He thinks his brutal cross-training workouts

bring me closer to the brawny body of Neanderthals!?

Have you seen a Neanderthal?

Except for your husband?

They went extinct for a reason!

Nature! I am nature’s answer!

There’s a natural reason I don’t run faster than a hippo!!

Well, there must be a reason.

No, I’m putting my slippered foot down.

No. More. Personal Trainer!

I’m firing Anders! I am!

(Doorbell.)

Oh shit. He’s here!

Maybe if I hide, he’ll go away.

Where does one hide in a kitchen!

Shit! If I could only fit in the pantry!

(Knocking.)

Oooooh! He’s seen me!

(Waves to Anders.)

Hey, Anders! Be right there!

(Seeing something.) Oh! How nice!

(Back to Dayna.) He’s brought me a smoothie. Orange-Strawberry.

I guess I can try one and a half more sessions.

Maybe two. I did pay for the month.

(Dismissive) Gotta go, Dayna.

Next time you see me, I’ll be extinct.

Part of me’ll be missing.

Maybe I’ll be wearing a loin cloth and lion print.

(WAVE TO ANDERS. ALLEN exits. Light out. End of play.)

On Thursday, my students and I were chatting before class as I prompted them to respond to the Poll Everywhere word cloud: “Finish the sentence: I spent my Spring Break ______________.” Soon, words began to populate the screen: “Sleeping, family, Disneyland, beach, Six Flags, Universal…” While the dominant responses were sleeping and relaxing, most responses were a flashback to pre-pandemic life. Where the familiarity and unfamiliarity join quickly left its impression upon me; aloud, I jovially remarked, “Wow! Look at that. It’s looking like things are returning to life as we knew it. It certainly feels like we’ve all been dealing with a proverbial psychological hangover from the past two years. I think this year, we just held our breath, hoping to make it through break without anything crazy happening. So far so good! Knock on wood!” as I knocked loudly on the top of the desk. A student, smiling while raising her eyebrows, pointed and looked at me as if to say, “You better find some wood to knock!” This, as they return from break with a “masks encouraged” policy, and me, relieved to see their smiles, yet feeling like I don’t recognize them without their masks on. It’s such an odd in-between space.

Returning to the classroom in-person this Spring felt like an alternate reality. Do I pass out handouts? Can students work in groups? Can they walk around? Do I have to clean everything in the classroom every time? What if I forget something? What if I mess up? For my students, I noticed how eager they were to TALK to each other. When they discuss in class, the energy is palatable; I honor the space for them to have it. This anecdote may sum it up best: last week, I checked out about ten books from the library to cart to Banned Books and Censorship, offering resources for students to use on their projects. The books were heavy and uncomfortable to lug across campus. I even required special permission to check out so many, but I did it because I thought that’s what my students needed. When class started, I was proud (and I’m a bibliophile) to show them how many resources are available to them in our amazing library, lifting up each book, explaining its contents, and pointing to where the information may be applicable to them. Afterwards, students met to plan projects. The books sat there; students didn’t go to the books, look at them, or give them any attention. Confused, I thought, well, maybe I should take the books TO the students. When I enthusiastically said to one group, “Oh, The Handmaid’s Tale is in here, look, a Summary and Background of Censorship!” 

My student responded, casually, “Cool. Can’t I get that electronically, though?”

It took me a second to adjust, and I said, “Yes! I think so. Let’s look.”

We did. She could, a juxtaposition of “let us talk to each other, and let us use our tech.” 

We all know the effects of the pandemic have forced us to evolve as teachers, as humans. In fact, TYCA (Two Year College Association of National Council of Teachers of English) created a taskforce to study the impact of 2020 on instructors. In crafting the survey, our questions began to sort itself into categories to include: instructional modalities, cognitive/emotional/self-care, impact to workload, institutional support, and teaching. We are just beginning the literature review and hope to start collecting responses in Fall 2022. Overall, collectively, I don’t think we’ve processed the impact 2020 had on us. We may still be running on the adrenaline it took to get us through to the other side. 

My work has changed because my life has changed. I have changed. The logistics, of course, are the easiest to talk about. In a forced instant, we learned how to live in a world of Zoom and Google Meet and WebEx and Live Online and HyFlex and work from home and vaccines and masks and sanitizing and social distancing and how many times we could tolerate hearing the word “unprecedented.” My dining room table turned into my office space and my classroom. Now, instead of a centerpiece and placemats, it’s filled with two monitors, a ring light, my laptop, and a wireless keyboard and mouse. Underneath all the vocabulary, though, I think we also learned to be even more patient (like the judge when the lawyer was a cat: “Sir, I’m not a cat.”), flexible (“Anyone need an extension?”), compassionate (“I am so sorry to hear that you are sick. Please take care of yourself.”), and expert with referrals (“Find free Wi-Fi here. Drive-Thru Food Distribution here. Counseling here.”) I learned we can do hard things (like having to work while home-schooling a kindergartener, a sixth grader with ASD, and a sophomore…Ay!). Though I will never stop learning, and I could likely talk about it a long while, these are some of the lessons I’ve learned from living and teaching in a pandemic.