In-person college classes are finally back! There is no doubt how anxious the students are for this moment, but have you ever stopped to think about how professors are feeling about being back in the classroom? Her Campus Cásper Líbero talked with three faculty members to answer this question.
Two Years Alone at Home
One of the most precious things that the pandemic has taken from people around the world is human contact. For almost two years, we experienced something previously unthinkable: online classes. Screens have been part of students’ and professors’ lives, and as much as learning at home has its advantages, nothing compares to being back to face-to-face activities.
A lesson that the pandemic left is that you can’t be totally happy alone, we are social beings, and we need interaction. Márcia Detoni, a Radio Journalism teacher at Faculdade Cásper Líbero, comments: “I learned in this pandemic that we can be fine alone, but it is happier when we are with other people”. It is this desire to teach and happiness for being back that makes the students’ and teachers’ meeting even more exciting.
We cannot deny that online platforms helped a lot for classes to continue in this difficult period, but it is time to put them aside and take advantage of the opportunity to be present in the classroom: “It is much better to have live contact with people, we talk, solve things, discuss”, says Helena Jacob, who teaches Journalism and Entertainment at Cásper Líbero.
Sandra Goulart, the Anthropology teacher at Cásper, emphasizes how good it is to have this experience with the students again: “Even with a mask you see people’s eyes, their expression, if they are really there, involved with what you are saying or not”. For her, this is the biggest advantage of returning to college.
Physical Challenges
Two years of online classes have certainly changed everyone’s habits. A lot of them didn’t take off their pajamas, wore good slippers, and remained in the comfort of their homes.
Now, beyond the physical dislocation to the college, teachers went back to class while standing upright, speaking loudly for the whole classroom to hear, among other challenges. “It has been a physical impact, you stand up, speak with a mask, but we will all get used to this”, Helena points out.
Back to Life
Above any academic achievement, teachers feel love for teaching. Sandra mentions that her teacher spirit is present, even after two years. Marcia couldn’t be happier with the return of classes: “This human warmth, body expression, joy, shared laughter and restlessness. For me it is like living again”.
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The article above was written by Ana Carolina Lamussi and Giovanna Ragano and edited by Milena Casaca. Liked this type of content? Check out Her Campus Cásper Líbero for more!