Desde HBPE

6 End-of-Semester Reflections We’re Sharing

This semester has been tough, to say the least. Taking time to reflect on what you’ve learned, what has sidelined you, and where you’ve focused your limited time and mental space is a worthy exercise. Paul John “PAO” Peña, a lecturer in the economics department at De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines, recently shared a blog post entitled “Teaching in the time of coronavirus” containing his end-of-semester reflections. While we recommend reading the whole post, we wanted to highlight some specific lessons below.

1	Students are teaching partners, too. Partnering with students, getting their feedback, listening to suggestions, and creating the experience together not only makes the design problem relatively more comfortable to manage, but also more meaningful to them.

2	A dynamic syllabus works. With a dynamic syllabus, I was able to refocus topics and rethink specific content that would fit students’ learning needs while still achieving the desired learning outcomes.

3

Keep it interactive even outside contact hours. Student engagement in a typical classroom does not end when the bell rings. In remote learning, keeping in touch is even more necessary. We had an online group where I coordinated activities, shared bits and pieces of other sources of knowledge, and provided off-the-cuff thoughts and ideas. But more importantly, it was where I listened even when everyone was silent. It was the virtual version of “being there” for them.

4	Big classes held in plenary do not always work well. In a case-based learning class where students learn in groups by doing cases together, I find shorter sessions done in smaller groups to be more efficient in making learning stick. Plenary sessions tend to lose the “high touch” factor.

5	Keep an open mind and be forgiving of yourself. Online teaching can be exhausting. Recording sessions can take hours, while facilitating live sessions requires a bigger personality to maintain attention. So forgive yourself for not being perfect. You are doing the best you can; trust that students appreciate you.

6	Be there even when students are not or cannot be. We are there even when it is hard. We are there not only in good times but also in dire times. All we could hope for is that by being there, they too won’t give up on themselves.

Adapted from “Teaching in the time of coronavirus” by Paul John Peña. Are there any takeaways from this semester you want to share? Let us know.