Welcome to Digital Dialogues!With the Online Quarantine QueensSorry for our delay in sending out our newsletter this week. Our very own Ann was featured today in the SIP in the Early Bird, and we wanted to wait so we could share that with you today! |
Teaching TipThe Importance of Saying GoodbyeThis spring we quickly moved our classes online and campus was closed down due to Covid-19. Though we have continued to work and teach together, many of us did not get to say goodbye or formally celebrate our time together as part of our larger departmental or MSU Denver community. In addition, we are all experiencing the isolation and stress of sheltering in place, job loss, health fears, housing insecurity and more. Saying goodbye is important and hard under normal conditions, but our current context makes it even more important that we say goodbye intentionally and provide students the opportunity for celebration, closure, connection, and purpose. The current pandemic can make school and work feel less important, a bother, hopeless, and a distraction to what really matters. Students and teachers can lose sight of what they have learned and accomplished during the past semester and potentially over their entire time at MSU Denver. They may even lose sight of how important their field, contributions, expertise, and relationships really are. Though difficult to endure, these are normal responses to crisis and stress. However, when we are getting ready to finish a hard semester and/or to graduate, we do not want to feel disappointed, powerless, disconnected, or that we do not or our time at MSU Denver did not matter. This is where saying goodbye and intentionally planning the end of your semester is essential this year. Goodbyes, celebrating accomplishments, and having closure rituals also support trauma informed pedagogy. Trauma and chronic stress challenge our sense of purpose, takes away our agency, and strains relationships. Many of our students, in addition to COVID 19, have survived traumatic situations that have impacted their development and education. Honor you students through:
You may think you don’t have time to devote to good-byes, but please challenge yourself as to whether the final chapter or lecture is really necessary and instead, make time and space for your students to name and celebrate their hardships, accomplishments, relationships, and say goodbye. Try This:Here are some suggestions to help your students during this traumatic time and to make saying goodbye a little easier:
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Please stay in touch with us over the next few weeks; we are here to help! Becky Cottrell: [email protected] Ann Obermann: [email protected] |