Two UPEI professors share their first COVID semester experience so far

 

Nancy McIntosh is an English professor at UPEI

Submitted: Nancy McIntosh

By Yakosu Umana

For Nancy McIntosh, teaching is second nature. She believes it’s her purpose in life.

However, she finds it difficult to teach well this semester.

 “I find it very tasking. It’s taking a lot more out of me than normal.”

The UPEI academic writing instructor has been teaching for over 30 years. She has mentored other teachers on how to teach well.

Her number one rule in teaching is to make sure everyone is attentive.

This term she has struggled to do so, she said.

 “I can see their pictures (video chat frame) and they’re kind of dozing off or looking out the window or something.”

She teaches best when she connects with her students on a personal level, McIntosh said.

“I’m a very people-person. I like to talk to people and meet them, but when you can only see a headshot of the people you’re teaching, I find it so impersonal.”

Teaching digitally goes against the essence of teaching academic writing, because writing is personal, she said.

McIntosh said she has received encouraging feedback from a student but felt otherwise about it.

“She (her student) told me ‘you’re doing the best you can.’ I don’t feel that’s a compliment,” McIntosh said.

“I've never been told that about my teaching before…

“I want to do better than ‘just the best I can’.”

On Sept. 25, UPEI announced e-learning will extend to the winter semester for the majority of their courses.

McIntosh said although she dislikes teaching digitally, it’s the best decision for the safety of students.

Another UPEI professor agrees.

Carlo Lavoie is a Professor of French language at UPEI.

Submitted: Carlo Lavoie

“There may be a second wave, so I think it is for the safety of the students,” Carlo Lavoie said.

He teaches French language and culture at the university, as well as being the head chairperson of the Modern Languages department.

Lavoie isn’t unfamiliar to teaching digitally. He has taught his course without live lectures for the past two years, to gain more students.

However, it’s different this semester, he said.

“(Then) I had the feeling to know students better. Students were able to come to my office if they have a question.”

So far, his main concern this term has been his first-year students, he said.

“These are students I find difficult to communicate with. They don’t answer their emails, they don’t reply. It’s difficult to have a real conversation for them.”

With five courses online, it’s difficult for them, Lavoie said.

Regarding the sudden change of teaching and learning methods, Lavoie believes it's part of the university experience.

“I think it’s part of the university life to adapt.”

“It’s not a teaching process we’re in. We’re in a learning process.”

With the extension of online schooling, Lavoie’s advice to his colleagues is to create a schedule with room for improvisation. 

“Don’t think about getting ready for the whole term, before the term starts,” he said.

“What is important is not what I want to teach, what is important is the