You want nimble? I'll show you nimble: when my two larger classes grew too big for socially distancing in their assigned classrooms, I adjusted my syllabi based on the assumption that I'd have only half of my students in the room at a time. And then when I learned that the Powers That Be had conducted a mass shuffling of classroom assignments to allow most classes to meet all together, I cheered and started adapting my syllabi to new conditions.
And then this morning I went to look at my two new classrooms and found that they're not my favorites but I can adapt. I mean, I know some of my colleagues really love old-fashioned chalkboards, but I don't; on the other hand, if chalk dust is the price I have to pay to fit all my students in the same room, I'll manage. And I have a firm policy against teaching in rooms with raised platforms or steps because of my proven ability to fall on my face in front of students, but again, I'll manage if it means keeping my students together.
So I thought I was all set to finish up my syllabi until I decided to take one last look at the online course schedules and found that one of my larger classes has been moved from the big chalkboard room back to the smaller room where they'd started out. And sure, okay, I can adapt to new information, but when was someone planning to inform me of the change? And how do I know the location won't be changed again? My new teaching nightmare come to life: showing up ready to teach on the first day of class but I can't find the classroom. Nobody is nimble enough for this mess.
Bev be nimble, Bev be quick,
Bev can change her classes--quick!
Move 'em here, move 'em there,
Bev can teach 'em anywhere.
Bev fall down and breathe chalk dust,
but she'll teach there if she must!
There's just one place Bev can't bear
The undisclosed location. (WHERE?!)
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