Whatever happens to us for the remainder of the semester, we are responsible for our collective well-being and for our collective success. As Mr. Rogers said, "We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility."
On-campus classes will experience changes. The extent of those changes both in scope and time are yet to be determined or known.
We all need to take a deep breath before responding to emails. Remember, we have each other's best interest in mind. We are in this together.
We all need to take a deep breath before posting anything to say, for example, Discussions or Group sessions and think "How will these words be interpreted?"
This is an anxious time for everyone. I have to leave behind what I enjoy most about teaching and create on-line experiences for students who did not sign up for such a platform. And on-campus students are anxious because they might have doubts in their skills and abilities to succeed in an online environment. And, then there are those with mental health issues to begin with -these changes may only exasperate things.
So, we are all in this together. Remember that. When you need help, reach out to me. When you anxious, let me know. And likewise when I need your help I will reach out to you.
We are in this biological hurricane together. We share responsibility for our collective success and our collective well-being but ultimately I will take responsibility for that which is in my power. As President Harry S. Truman used to say "The buck stops here." Keep this in mind in these uncertain times. And, never turn your back on cats.
Yep, the world we live in has just gone through some drastic changes. Who knew that such a thing would ever occur in our lifetime? Aside from schools closing and workplaces changing, COVID-19 has dealt a huge blow to the economy and many low-income families. As of right now my dad is the last one left within my family that still has a job. Luckily both my parents and I have savings, that could help us if for some reason he too loses his job. Aside from the worriness, this entire situation has left me in awe. For the first time in a long time, I’m seeing families get together, governments dedicating all their efforts into protecting others, and multiple organizations as well as schools, finally acknowledge that mental health is something valuable to society. Just think about it, before any of this happened, the push for mental health was slow and steady. But now, workplaces, schools, and our own government, are sending out push notifications and various resources to ensure everyone has access to some form of therapy outlet. It’s amazing! So thank you, because you too have also acknowledged and offered support to those students struggling in these worrisome times
ReplyDeleteP.S Thanks for the cat advice!
I used to say this phrase all the time to close friends and loved ones, “We don’t know what kind of demons people hide.” Meaning that we don’t know what people are capable of when a crisis happens that affects the whole world. Just like when the Popeyes chicken sandwich came out, people would fight in the lines over FOOD. But only this time we fight over toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and masks. These are the times where the phrase “every man for themselves” summarizes COVID-19. Many people either work from home or they still go into work, being exposed to limited people. Those who are unfortunate are stuck at home worrying about how to pay the bills. Except, some people are looking at this pandemic as a bad thing, when we should look at it as a good thing. Families hardly spend quality time with their children because they are caught up at work. I would always hear “ I never have the time to be with my kids/family/loved ones”. This is the time where families get that chance to be with one another after such a long time. I see families outside in their front yards sitting on the grass with their pets, having a picnic. Families on bike rides in the neighborhood, all sorts of bonding time and that puts a smile on everyone’s faces. It is almost a win-win for some people. Students still get to have class online, and working from home is a good thing being provided a laptop and necessities from the work place, and families get to be together now.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this! I do believe that the pandemic is a bad thing, but we are not the first generation of people to experience this. This is just history repeating itself. I do think that everyone has the right to believe that it is a bad thing, but it's mostly about learning to adapt to it because realistically, there's no way of telling when this will be all over. I do feel for the people who have it rough right now though because it certainly did come at the most unexpected time. But you're right, like you said it has been bringing families and friends closer. I would see my family once or twice a week, even though I was living with them, because I was so caught up with all the responsibilities I had. Yeah that's great and at all, but when things hard, it's so important to have people who you love close to you. It's so good for the soul.
DeleteWhen all of this started, I was uncertain about the action that schools were going to take. When I was still in high school it was common for the district to not do much when it came to something important like natural disasters. Even HCC did not close when a rainstorm happened and decided to close after some places started to flood and the mayor had to make an announcement. As this virus progressed, I started to get worried about not just my health but my siblings, and my mother's health. According to the state my mother is considered an essential worker for a restaurant that only does take out and delivery. The amount of people that walk into that restaurant is always a mystery and if some of those people are not taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others my mother would be at risk. My sister found out she was pregnant. That has me worried so much because of her vulnerability during pregnancy. We started to look for things for her to like vitamins and creams and food for her to be able to eat. When we went to most of the stores and all essentials were gone. Toilet paper, soap, sanitation, paper towels, etc all were gone. As time passed we strategically went shopping, we asked workers of stores when shipments came in and we just bought everything we needed in certain places at certain times. I know people have that fear because of the virus and the news it telling us. But i see it differently. If you a lot of news your exposing yourself to that fear and you'll end up traumatizing yourself and then what will you do when there is a necessary that needs to be taken care of for you or your family. You wont even want to step outside. I think people should watch the amount of news they watch and just make other things a priority. You have your kids at home. People finally have the time they've said they never have to spend to family. Get in touch with other friends and to check up on them to make sure they are safe and they are not going through hardships.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in high school the district did not really do much. In HCC I remember that when it was raining hard like last year, they did not want to cancel classes either. I hope your family is doing great. From what I read I would be worried too because your sister being pregnant is a little bit risky. Just like you I have people who are on a risk on getting the virus. My grandma for example she has diabetes. My girlfriend has asthma and I was scared for her to get it, but we been really careful. We use a mask wherever we go. Where I work, I use mask and gloves because I don’t want to get it and I really care for my clients. The news were really making people really scared. That’s why me and my family stopped watching them a lot. It is good to get in touch with friends and family to check up on how they are doing.
DeleteSuch thing as COVID-19 has changed the way we see a "lifestyle" to something completely different. I, as student, have been impacted by this illness which is hard to handle at the present day. We did not imagine how this might work and go after it took its way up to an enclosure where most of the communities, such as educative, professional and Laboral has stop or minimize their normal pace. Now it is the time to go further than getting stuck because of "that", it is the time to get strong and surpass the obstacles we may have. Although, nobody else manage our own path, we have such right to modify it as we want it to, we can change for good not for bad. At the end of the day, we will face this illness to better and for the best of ourselves in the reality we live on.
ReplyDeleteHaving to transition to online instruction was very anxiety ridden for me. I am sure it was for many of us. My sleep schedule quickly ruined because the anxiety kept me awake for hours on end. It came to the point where I would only sleep 3 hours a day. I had done courses online during high school and I absolutely hated it. I expected the same outcome. Overall it isn’t so bad with the exception with one of my professors.
ReplyDeleteDoing work in my home is difficult. I tend to lose focus easily compared to doing work in a school environment. I began completing assignments in a relative’s home where it seemed more office-like. I was accompanied by family who also had to work from home and found it difficult to focus. We are all going through this together. Thus, we began working together.
the transition to online class has been a little difficult for me. not only this is my first year as a college student but also my first time having to take online classes. Not only do i have to worry about school, like keeping up assignments and notes. also with your readings. For me though at the same time everything was going on lock-down i was also dealing with personal things with family which made it a little bit harder. not only that but also i am having to work from home. even though it has been a rough path i have to custom myself and look at it as a new experience and maybe in the future i will consider online classes. I hope everyone is safe!
ReplyDeleteWithout the pressure brought on by professors in on-campus classes, students will most likely have trouble staying motivated and on task. Switching from in-person class to online class will be exceedingly difficult and will no doubt have some sort of impact on student grades. However, in these trying times we must all take responsibility and take advantage of this opportunity of practicing self-discipline when it comes to daily routines and schoolwork without the pressure from peers and professors from in-person classes. We must all keep ourselves knowledgeable and aware of the news and the facts of the pandemic that has abruptly put a pause on our lives. In our efforts of getting out of this global epidemic we should all remain calm and keep our productivity stable, while also keeping in mind the rules and guidelines set by local government in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. I think that you as a professor have done an excellent job in making this transition so easy and for that I applaud your efforts in ensuring our continued educational success.
ReplyDeleteWe should all take responsibility for the pandemic because it is through us that the virus spread. All of us should do our part by engaging in sanitary practices and keeping social distance. We should also lend a hand to those who need it. I have been struggling with online classes myself. Although, I tend to perform great in campus classes, the same cannot be said for online classes. I tend to procrastinate even more than usual and I get very lazy with my assignments. I am glad that I have fellow classmates and friends who help me to stay motivated and lend their help when possible. I try not to think too much about the pandemic, and work has really helped with that, and it also has kept me very sane. Surely, this pandemic is hitting others harder than others. It is important to let others know they have a helping hand, and it is important to maintain safety protocol during this time. We are all responsible, and we are in this together.
ReplyDeleteThis Global Pandemic is causing me stress and anxiety because I miss my friends and being on campus. To be honest I really miss having class on campus because I was able to be in contact face to face with my classmates and Instructors. I must accept the fact we really need to take full responsibility during this Global Pandemic and I must protect my family and myself and practice Social Distancing and to stay-home and follow The Five Rules 1.Stay Home 2.Wash hands with soap and water 3.Keep your safe distance 4.Cover your Cough 5.If your sick, stay home and rest. To be honest Online Class is not the same as Face to Face lectures, Because in Online Class we have to learn the Course Material on our own which is more difficult. But together we will beat this COVID-19 and Global Pandemic and so can things can go back to Normal and be happy and reunite with our family members and friends recover ourselves financially.But Sad reality even though business are reopen we accept that the Global Pandemic is still going on but I hope they find the Vaccine. Stay Safe.
ReplyDeleteCOVID-19 took me by surprise and up until now I am still processing how this situation got to where it is now. For many students the transition from on-campus learning to online learning was definitely a struggle. Students have different learning styles and not being in a learning environment can greatly affect their success. Since the transition to online classes, I have lost all sense of structure and have been struggling to keep myself motivated in order to complete my assignments. I am used to having a schedule throughout the day and being at a certain place at a certain time. I miss seeing new faces and having my daily interactions with my friends, simple things like these were the few things that kept my mind from unwinding. Fortunately, I am blessed with a great support system that is there when I need them just as much as I am present when they need me.
ReplyDeleteWith classes being switched to an all online platform, I’ve struggled with staying motivated. Not needing to go to classes makes my brain think, “Oh there’s no school thus there’s no need to do any work.” Thankfully, I don’t have many classes to keep up with compared to other fellow classmates and it’s not as difficult, however, it is difficult for me to get work done. I’ve noticed that even though the essays we’ve completed in the past have been amazing (Thanks to having an excellent group to work with), these past 2 essays haven’t been as great. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still A’s, they’re great… they’re just not the best we’ve written and I think it’s partially due to not being able to discuss the topics in class and receiving feedback from Dr. Ross-Nazzal. Overall, I prefer having an actual class, an actual learning environment, rather than being home where I’m used to slacking off, relaxing and playing video games (huge distraction, I can’t help it if I’m bored) or watching something interesting. One minute I’m working on an assignment and the next minute I’m not! I’m scrolling through some funny videos. Online classes are not for me.
ReplyDeleteWe are in a difficulty time right and I would be lying if I said it hasn’t caused my stress and anxiety levels to raise to the roof. For my part I am doing the best I can by staying home and only going out when absolutely necessary and maintaining social distancing. And I am trying my best to adapt to new online learning classes although I may not have the best resources at home. I know this is the best situation to ensure safety and healthiness of me and others. Therefore, I am taking steps to help myself by distracting myself from all the panic and focusing on other happier things. I also am making sure to be there for others like I who are also currently experiencing difficult time especially with mental health. By keeping in contact with friends and family to reassure them that we would recover from this and in no time, we will be able to come back to a time where we can all hug each other be there to celebrate special moments.
ReplyDeleteHonestly this is the first time I face a worldwide pandemic in my entire life, we're going through some difficult times, and the intrigue of what’s coming next with our country is just bugging me out, by the time I'm writing this, some stores are already reopening, I hope this is the beginning of something good, I'm starting to getting tired of being at home all the time, I miss hanging out with friends, going to restaurants, I even bought a basketball just a week before quarantine and I haven used yet, I found that kind of funny though. I hope this whole thing ends soon but until then we all to keep safe and healthy following the recommended sanitation procedures.
ReplyDeleteStudents are finally realizing on how important school is. Now that we can’t go out a lot is a struggle. Who would have taught that every grocery store would have a lot of empty shelves and toilet paper would be one of the main things that people would be fighting for. Everyone is freaking out and it is getting out of control. I had a lot of on campus classes and they all had to switch to online which was something that was difficult to get used to at first. Being a child of 3 is not easy to share 1 laptop. We all had a lot of assignments to get done and it was a struggle to keep up with my work. I always have to be turning in my assignments just in time before the due date arrived. I am just glad that I am over with this and I hope that I don’t have to experience this again.
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