As many of my colleagues know, zoom teaching is exhausting. Mustering up the enthusiasm and energy everyday can leave you drained. My approach in the fall during this pandemic was just to be as honest with my students as I could. So, each time we began class in my Intersectionality course, I asked folks to share how they're doing by choosing a "song of the day."
Sometimes, we got deep. Most times we just used that first minute of class to stand–if we were willing and able–stretch, and be away from zoom for a little bit while listening to someone's pick.
At the end of the fall 2020, my students' screens were all black. Then much to my surprise, they all came on at once with beautiful signs thanking me for the semester.
It's exhausting mustering up the energy to get others motivated. But then sometimes you're reminded that all that energy actually makes an impact.
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