These days my attitude toward Zoom is similar to my attitude toward air bags: Thanks for saving my life, but I hope I never have to see you again. I hadn't planned on using Zoom at all this semester, but suddenly I find myself setting up Zoom links for every class to accommodate quarantining students.
Fifteen students in the classroom and one up on the big screen--my least favorite way to conduct a class. So far I've had only one student at a time needing to use Zoom, but the current wave of Covid cases could change that. And what happens if I have to quarantine?
It could happen. Right now we're in the midst of fall allergy season, with ragweed spewing pollen all over creation and no rain coming along to wash it out of the air. Right now I'm struggling with the usual fall congestion and night-time coughing, but what if I pick up a case of Covid from one of my students or colleagues?
My new wi-fi setup at home is more reliable than my old one but still not steady enough to teach via Zoom. So what are the options? Sit in my car in the McDonald's parking lot to piggyback on their wi-fi. Stay in a motel. Hide in my office with the door shut and hope no one notices.
It's hopeless. What I really need to do is avoid getting Covid, or continue to avoid it. I've never tested positive for Covid, so either I'm an asymptomatic carrier or else my immune system gets such a great work-out fighting every passing pollen flake that it can swat down Covid without breaking a sweat. Either way, I want it to keep doing what it's been doing so the whole teaching-from-home thing remains a purely hypothetical problem.
2 comments:
I bought a blue air air filter for my work office and OMG it has made all the difference with ragweed. I have another air filter next to my bed at home that also keeps me breathing at night.
Thanks for the tip. I will have to look into that.
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