Skip to main content


Repost Message
will copy the article into draft mode and enable you to edit/change dates and information.
Do not change the dates
of this posting because it will affect the original.

MCC Daily Tribune

TCC: Tip of the Day - Reach out.

Today's Tip of the Day is brought to you by Professor Terry Shamblin from ESOL/TRS.

My tip for my fellow faculty is to reach out.

Reach out to your students, and then reach out to them again. Like life, my students' engagement with our courses has an ebb and a flow. I get that, but too much ebb inhibits the flow. If I see them falling behind or going a week without logging in, I reach out via email. If they don't respond, I reach out by phone, dialing *67 before their number so they can't see my number. (Thanks to the TCC for this invaluable tip.) Many faculty I know reach out via text message, and instructions on how to text students without letting them see your number can be found here.

If students have been logging in but not submitting work, reach out. If they seem confused or really mess up an assignment, reach out. If they did an excellent job on a specific task or in general, reach out. Send kudos and raise flags on Starfish.

Reach out individually, and reach out collectively by sending regular email announcements. Reach out by always including the link and the times for Zoom office hours on the bottom of each message. Reach out by offering to call them or meet up via Zoom at a time that might work better for them. Reach out by asking about their struggles and really listening to what this experience is like for them. Reach out by drawing attention to information about technology support, about counseling services, about library support, about tutoring options, and then post that information in your course.

Become a stalker, if necessary, because our reaching out really does make a difference in students' lives and in their learning. Students tell me everything from they just keep forgetting about our class to they're overwhelmed with online learning to they've been kicked out of the house to their jobs or families are directly affected by the Coronavirus. I've had several students say they were planning to quit, but they'll stick it out because I reached out and offered to work with them and accept late work.

Reach out so our students know we believe in them, we're here for them, and we'll help them. Because we will.

If you would like to talk about what's happening in your classes join the daily non-judgmental conversations about teaching during COVID-19. These happen daily from 9 - 10 am and 3 - 4 pm.

https://monroecommunity.zoom. us/j/672991431

Meeting ID: 672-991-431

1-929-205-6099

If you have a story to share, email Gena Merliss: emerliss@monroecc.edu.

 

Eugenia Merliss
Teaching & Creativity Center
04/29/2020