With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the closing of schools and immediate transition from an in-class setting to online teaching, Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) professors had to readjust their on-campus life with their home and personal life.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.” And for two ONU professors, this transition, although unexpected, was not a great shock, but it still created some emotional exhaustion.
Courtesy of Dr. McGrady
For Dr. Lisa McGrady, English Professor and Dean of the Assessment Teaching and Learning at ONU, everything happened very fast.
McGrady had only one week to transition all her in-class courses to an online format successfully. Thankfully she had some experience with online teaching before the pandemic hit.
When it comes to the emotional aspect of this transition, face-to-face interaction is a part that Dr. McGrady heavily misses.
“All of your communication has to be more planned and more purposeful,” she said. “There are no more casual conversations with colleagues and students, it is just not around anymore.” For her, those times must now be planned out.
Feeling self-conscious is also something McGrady has to deal with regularly.
“Despite the time I spend teaching online,” she said, “I am still not a fan of recordings of myself,” disliking the sound of her voice or even her physical appearance on virtual lessons.
Now at home with her husband and two kids, boundaries are a necessity to ensure that everyone gets their work done. Although she likes the at-home time, McGrady feels as if the work is taking longer than usual.
Here what a day in the life of Dr. McGrady looks like:
For Dr. Linda Allen, a professor in the McGraw School of Business at ONU, transitioning to an all-online format was an added adjustment.
Alle, who has had previous experience with online teaching said, “There are always challenges, [..] there is still a big learning curve and a transition.” But Allen believes that she had an advantage because of her familiarity with online courses she is used to teaching in the graduate program.
Although things were easy for Allen, she is only one of the few professors that have had it easy. According to an article by Education Week, “Teachers are grappling with unfamiliar technologies” and adapting to an online version of a classroom has taken a toll on their mental health.
Courtesy of Dr. Allen
For Allen, an introvert, the quarantine teaching season has been a dream.
“Because the relationship is the most important part of my work, this is not what I want, but I am contented because I am an introvert,” she said.
At the end of the day, she still misses having students randomly stop by her office for a conversation, and definitely prefers being in her on-campus office rather than at her at-home office.
Missing people is something Allen believes is a feeling that everyone feels regardless if they are introverted or extroverted.
With other two grown adults at home (husband and son) and a dog, Allen can successfully transition from a teaching to family time.
Here what a day in the life of Dr. Allen looks like:
For more information about how Olivet Nazarene University is handling the coronavirus outbreak: click here
To see how the ONU professors is managing their online communication: click here
To see how each department has adapted to this transition : click here
To learn more about how each professor has changed their courses : click here
