Jasmine Hunter

Professional Title: English Teacher

Class Year: 2020

Major: English Education

Location: Durham, NC

Education Experience: 1 year

Please share your experience working with students during the pandemic?

At first, it was very difficult to begin my teaching career in the middle of a pandemic. I struggled to make professional connections with my colleagues. I had so many questions about what to do and how to do it. I felt like I didn’t know anything, but as weeks went by, and the more experience I gained, the easier it got to manage planning fun and interactive lessons, holding tutoring sessions, grading assignments, attending professional development sessions, and making connections with my students. It took some time to build connections with my students because I can’t always see their faces nor read their body language as well as I could in person. When I’m sharing my screen, which I do a lot, I can’t see everyone’s faces, and I tend to see the same few students everyday which makes it hard to connect with the other students. I started assigning them weekly journal entries, and that’s where I began to know my students, what they care about, and what they’re feeling. Building this relationship with them began to translate to better participation in class. I love my students so much, and I wish I could hug them and see their faces in person! Although remote learning is challenging, I have enjoyed teaching from home, adapting to an unusual environment, and pushing my classroom into the 21st Century.

What advice would you give to people during this pandemic?

What has been most helpful to me while being stressed during the pandemic is when I start to feel overwhelmed, I just pause, take a deep breath, and take it one day or one task at a time.