The End: A Thank You Note

Our class had its last Zoom meeting this week. As most professors forced to switch to emergency teaching online, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to continue to produce meaningful connections between myself and my students, among students, and between students and the text. How will I continue to do this in Fall 2020 when we will most likely have to be online? How will I create an impactful course that challenges and encourages students to think with important concepts and texts? How will they think with each other outside of the classroom and in virtual spaces?

More than anything, COVID-19 has made me particularly aware of my privilege: I can work from home, I have access to food, I have access to friends and family and loved ones, even if we can’t be physically close. This semester, I was also made aware of how fortunate I was in getting to teach this particular group of students. I told them this as I was saying goodbye after our last class session: I have been constantly impressed with their dedication to the work of literary analysis. They come prepared with specific passages they want to explore together, push each other to think critically, listen to each other, and are reassuring in the most wonderful ways. Most importantly, they are always willing to take a risk and think about difficult questions and topics. They are intellectually curious and generous. I could not have asked for a better class to explore a topic and a series of texts I find so important. They made me a better teacher and I will miss them. Even during the pandemic, they were present and put in the work. I’m thankful they made this strange situation seem even slightly normal. Thank you!