Where Learning Begins: Lessons from a Pandemic

Abstract

Where Learning Begins:Lessons from a Pandemic Ana Fonseca Conboy The human toll of the Covid-19 pandemic, the widespread illness and death observed in 2020, was unimaginable in the waning days of 2019. Since then, in language education, the pandemic has changed the way we interact with others and forced a transformation of how we deliver content to our students. It has placed experimentation at the forefront of our teaching and provided opportunities for pedagogical growth. Above all, in the spring of 2020, Covid-19 tested our adaptability and agility, both as educators and as students. This article will touch on some of the broader implications for our profession both in and beyond the classroom. My inferences include overarching considerations such as the importance of listening to student voices, maintaining community among the learners, and continual reflection and reevaluation, as well as some specific recommendations learned by the experience. Regardless of the type and amount of technology infused in the process, teaching remains a quintessential human activity focused on learning, but always tempered by the teacher's care for students' well-being and, indeed, their joy. Philosophy When faced with the novelty and uncertainty of cataclysmic events such as the coronavirus, we fall back on our fundamentals, our philosophies of life and of teaching to help guide us. I have been influenced by institutional values that encompass the Jesuit and Benedictine traditions. Among these are the importance of listening, respect for persons, moderation, the dignity of work, hospitality, and the common good. Furthermore, these institutional values include the concept of cura personalis, that is, the care for, and education of, the whole person. In addition to this framework, I often compare the vocation of teacher to that of actor. Our performance as teachers depends very much on our audience. So teachers must coexist in a dynamic equilibrium with our students. The analogy blossomed with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. In many ways, I found the transition from in-person teaching to online teaching to be comparable to the transition from theater to television. And we all know that some plays never make [End Page 15] the transition to the silver screen. So the question became: how can we guarantee that our classes will successfully transition to the Zoom screen? Attempting to construct a plan using these values as a guide, I first thought it important to listen to the students about their concerns and to start preparations for the education of the whole person in spite of the constraints of the pandemic. Before the transition to remote learning, I asked students to fill out a mid-semester questionnaire that expanded upon my regular "What has worked well/what could be improved?" series of questions. It became important to know whether students had access to broadband internet, whether they were in the same time zone, whether they had experience with Zoom and felt comfortable using it, and more importantly, whether they might want to share exceptional circumstances at home that would keep them from performing their best academically. In addition, I planned and carried out trial Zoom sessions before going "live". The consensus among students was that synchronous classes on Zoom would be the preferred method of delivery for our French classes. The most heartwarming detail that emerged from those questionnaires was that students respected—and expressed empathy and gratitude for—the faculty's efforts. One student wrote: "Thank you so much for being patient and preparing for all of this. Professors have it tough at this time—please let us know what else we as students could do to help!" The students were understanding. As a teacher, I felt that I had the responsibility of discovering the difficulties faced by all. I did not know what trials my students might be going through on the other side of my computer screen. For instance, one student's family was temporarily homeless. The student was distressed about how to transition successfully to the new mode. Mutual trust became even more important than under "normal" circumstances. Adjusting Goals With the transition to remote learning, it became evident that not everything was going to get done in the classroom. Instead of...