Story by
Devonny Grajeda
Staff Reporter
A full-time English instructor, Tammy Wolf, said that teaching online can be difficult because there is still work to be done explaining concepts of online classes.
In-person classes allowed her the ability to explain topics face-to-face, which can be easier, she said.
She added that teachers do not like sending students “out of the shell” because an ad can pop up, making it hard for students to stay focused.
“It’s not fair to the students either in some ways because if you don’t love reading, now you have to read all your instructions, you have to read all the support materials… which can be harder for students who don’t read as much,” she said.
The two groups she thought that were the most affected were students who have never learned online and teachers who have never taught online, she said.
She said her biggest obstacle has been isolation. Most of the time, she is at home in her office, grading, which she said could be overwhelming at times.
Wolf said it was not until Christmas last year that she realized the pandemic would not end quickly, and class would not be in person for a while.
She said she misses seeing students challenging one another’s ideas or getting that aha moment when everything starts to make sense. She said that is why she wants students to reply to one another on discussions and ask questions.
She also mentioned how students do not get to see the passionate side of their teachers.
“We just turn into this robot that you’re emailing.” A massive disconnect is present between teachers and students, she said.
Wolf adds that students are tired, and everyone is dealing with so much amid a pandemic, she worries about students who are losing their drive to continue.
Compared to in the beginning when she believed that students as well as teachers may have enjoyed having a break and being online for a little bit.
“Now we’re over it,” she added, “but students need to just keep going, it’s going to get better, just keep going were all in it together, and I know there’s a real divide between faculty and students, but we’re cheering you on, and we want to see everybody succeed.”
