I lost you there. Just for a moment, but I’m back.
This week has been chaotic, this time of year is what the French call “La Rentrée” (the return) to school and work after the summer break. I’m writing Thursday evening, just so that I can dedicate more time on Friday, (and probably some of this weekend) to get my classes ready. The weather is still warm, but I’m indoors most of the week, in the room or on a bus, and it can feel chilly.
I missed you last week, I was snowed under with work, finalizing course syllabi, chasing round, organizing things, and uploading learning materials for students on our LMS platform Canvas. Despite these efforts, it wasn’t enough and by Tuesday evening, not yet halfway through the week, I realized that I needed to adapt and rethink a couple of sessions. I’m feeling rusty and trying to be reminded of activities that I’ve done before, lessons that I know will work. It made the week more stressful, my brain is aching a bit and I’m slightly unsure and discombobulated. I’m sure I’m not the only teacher at the beginning of the year who feels this way.
Maybe it was the shock of seeing so many students. There were queues for food and coffee, the bus was super crowded, and everywhere, crossing streets; legions marching through campus on the way to their next lesson. I’ve been wearing a mask on the bus, around entrances, and in communal areas. Also in class, when I teach. I figure that people have been on airplanes and getting together en masse. Already I’m hearing stories of covid related absences, a colleague told me half their class was at home recovering from illness, already. While there are signs around campus “strongly encouraging” mask use, the reality is that probably less than half the people I see are wearing one, and in my classes, the majority are maskless. There is no regular testing regime or much in the way of official mitigation, which I find really odd. Why didn’t we at least try and reduce the spread of covid in the first few weeks? I think it’s going to contribute to an uneven start. I’m hoping I have a trace of protection left from my bout of covid in the summer, I have heard of plenty of people getting ill again…
We’ll see how it goes, I suppose.
Teaching & Learning
I have been learning how to teach French again, at least that is what it feels like. Digital Storytelling in French kicked off, this is the course that I’m most anxious about, but after months of immersing myself in podcasts, films, and books to tune up, I’m back in front of students teaching French.
On Monday I spoke almost exclusively in the target language, as we introduced ourselves, seated around a long conference table, the session was informal and relied on quite a bit of q&a. On Wednesday after a re-think on seating, we worked in smaller groups, at tables of four. I provided students with an article to read and gave them time to formulate answers before calling on them for discussion. Essentially we used think, pair, share, which worked well, and hopefully reassured those who had been slightly lost in Monday’s session that they would be able to complete this course and find their place within it.
It’s clear already that an A-grade for a student who is near-fluent will need to be different from an A-grade for someone who is less confident. I need to adjust the criteria for assessment to better measure distance traveled rather than standardize the outcome. I’m not sure how this is going to go down with a few people, but it seems fairer. Especially too in a course that encourages creativity and self-expression. Again, just as in the other design-led courses, I want to reward those who challenge themselves and take risks.
I’ve already noticed that there are two different pedagogies in play; the more informal way that I teach filmmaking, narrative and digital skills; has to marry with a more formal approach to language learning. This means giving students space and time but also structure. There’s a range of confidence levels within this advanced-level class. I have some students who are almost fluent, some with excellent speaking and listening, who just feel a bit rusty. And I’m sure the same could be said about their digital storytelling skills.
Life Lessons
Already this week I’ve had conversations about technology being the focus of the course, and I’ve had to say that the most important aspect is storytelling. In each of the classes we need to seek out topics that we can engage with, and issues that we would like to address. Last week I met with my colleague Mame-Fatou Niang, and we chatted about the importance of emotional engagement, as a driver of intellectual application. After watching Mame’s film “Mariannes Noires” I can see what she means. As academics and scientists, we are often asked to disregard the narrative and foreground the facts, when emotion is another fact that can not be denied.
Skilled documentary-makers have an instinct for creating space for their contributors. Sometimes moments need to just play out. I’ve tried to teach this, but it isn’t easy. Resist the temptation to cover silences, interject, or ask another question. Sometimes people just need a moment to gather their thoughts.
Lost and Found
I’ve been cycling through a ton of material, finding resources for students, and putting my classes together. I’ve disappeared down a few rabbit holes and some of what I’ve stumbled on is linked below.
I introduced colleagues to Unsplash, which is a site full of images that you can download and use freely. I’ve also seen links to Unminus which aims to be a similar site with music that you can use. Brilliant if you’re looking for intro music for podcasts.
Talking of podcasts, I’ve found some excellent French podcasts at Binge Audio, a production house, I suppose similar to PRX’s Radiotopia with some great shows. I’ve been listening to Ça a commencé comme ça (It started like this) which details the history of artists, musicians and creatives, I particularly enjoyed this profile of Roni Horn, whose work I’ve always enjoyed. Also a series of interviews with young people at various stages of finishing university, finding jobs, moving and traveling called Place aux Jeunes. There are many more shows and I’m going to enjoy dipping into them over the next few months.
I haven’t commented lately about the state of politics in the US, safe to say the battle between democracy and authoritarianism is raging. Reports from elections for school boards, judges, governorships, and lawmakers, can make for strange and depressing news. One story that gave me a smidgin of hope was of Eric Calhoun, a community activist who was recently sworn in as a council member. This is a great story and comes as a welcome relief.
Thank you
There has been a great deal to reflect on this week and this is only a taste of what’s going through my brain as I’m traveling on the bus on my way to and from work. That and how bumpy the roads are in Pittsburgh while they are still completing summer works, sometimes the bus jars so violently as a wheel hits a pothole that my spine feels like it is going to shatter like the clay pipes that they are busy replacing, that they bang with a jack-hammer until they fracture and fall apart.
I’m hoping that this newsletter will return to addressing its stated themes of teaching, technology, language, and culture. It’s out of my hands I’m afraid, it just seems to have a life of its own, and whatever comes out as I start typing is usually what ends up getting published. I’m mostly thinking about these things as the semester starts and I get back into the groove. This week has been a bit of a shock to the system, and I’m grateful that I don’t teach on Fridays, and that I can get a few other things sorted.
No cycling this week, and not much in the way of drawing or painting either. I do need to find time over the weekend. Especially painting, I have two wooden canvases ready to go, with the pencil lines completed I just need to pick up a brush and dig out my box of acrylics.
We have been watching our high schooler playing the first games of the season, he’s doing well, despite all the pressure and competitiveness. I’m still amazed at seeing people in the stands, the cheerleaders, the announcer, and the anthem. Nothing like we’d ever get in the UK at this age.
I hope you’re well and this week has been good. Take care, speak soon.