As a student, it is easy to gripe about just how challenging Zoom University can be. The constant shift between in-person and virtual learning as well as the clunky transition to largely online assignments have been quite troublesome throughout the semester. Then, of course, there is the struggle to remain focused as loved ones are diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus, the very crisis driving this pandemic in the first place.
While I may complain a lot, many of these issues are completely unavoidable, and sometimes I forget other members of the Boston University community are also suffering through these obstacles.
All of the professors I work with, whether that be as a student, researcher, or classroom moderator have also faced challenges like these. Imagine having to assign and grade homework on a completely new online platform. Imagine trying to cultivate participation over Zoom, then being forced to perform an improvised monologue when nobody answers your questions. Imagine having to teach, grade, and interact with students when your loved ones are diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.
That is why this Thanksgiving I am most grateful for my professors. This semester, I have stumbled. I fumbled with the classroom moderator technology I was trained to use, yet multiple professors still took me seriously. Throughout Election Week, I struggled with deadlines and an overwhelming workload. I felt paralyzed by fear, but I was met with kindness and extensions. I made plenty of stupid mistakes that were met with compassion even on Zoom where such compassion is harder to acquire.
Most importantly, while I had the choice to go home for the rest of this semester, the vast majority of my professors did not. They must continue teaching in-person even when only one student is sitting in the classroom.
We, the students, can minimize any perceived risk by shifting to remote learning, but our professors must soldier on with a smile on their faces.
To my professors, thank you for making my semester better, arguably even enjoyable. I enjoy attending all of my classes— both as a student and a classroom moderator. I love the research I am doing, and the assignments I have tackled so far.
This semester has been full of engaging classes and work; I can truly say it has been worthwhile. It is not easy to be a student in a pandemic, but it is far harder to be a teacher.
If you are a fellow student reading this, I hope you will join me in writing thank you notes to your professors this semester. They certainly deserve it.
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