My name is Cassandra Heard. I’ve been at SDCCD over 30 years, teaching ESL to adult students. It always seems strange that I would have stayed in one place so long, but I enjoy the community and love working with my students.
I have no online teaching experience, except for trying to maintain class online once the pandemic shut us down. I had set up my Canvas with lessons and emailed students frequently, but the majority of my level 3 ESL students couldn’t find their way to our online class. If we'd had access to student phone numbers early on perhaps that would have allowed for a smoother segue.
I have never liked the idea of online classes. I love the in-person contact with my students. Most of my students are new to this country and need a sense of warmth and community. I miss the contact during this pandemic.
I’m told by some online teachers that they have better contact with students online because there’s more opportunity for one-on-one communication. I’m skeptical, but willing to experience what they’re talking about.
I’m taking this training because I need to learn resilience during the pandemic. This whole giant digital learning curve is very scary to me. However when I get over my initial anxiety, I think I’ll be excited. I like learning new things.
If I were a superhero in this time on the planet, I’d make everyone have to take a few breaths and think before reacting. In some cases, I’d like to momentarily shift a person’s perspective to that of the person/situation they’re reacting to. I’d like to apply this to myself as well. After all, superhero egos are some of the most stubborn.
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