We’re all juggling so much this semester: As we’re learning all these new platforms, we’re finding new ways to use them to advance the pedagogical goals we bring to our classes, now and forever.

And then there is the fire that’s raining from the sky on so many fronts.

The English Department knows that these stresses fall disproportionately on our part-time colleagues, and we want to diminish that effect however we can. First Year Writing has some ideas about how to do that, as you’d expect.

We’re also wary of inviting you to more workshops and things when you already have so much to do.

So we want to hear from you. What would help?

As you ponder this question, it might be useful to know, too, the the department has a new committee on online teaching, and First Year Writing will be in touch with its members as they set their agenda for the semester. We want to foster a department-wide discussion that will prove beneficial to part-time faculty.

What would you like to discuss, and how would you like to discuss it? What resources could the department provide to support you through this @%@#*! time?

Here are some things we’ve discussed:

• Set up discussion boards for all of the various platforms (Google Classroom, Blackboard, Academic Commons, Zoom, Slack, etc.) where faculty could go to share ideas and ask/answer questions.
• Make more use of this site as an asynchronous discussion board to talk about whatever’s on your mind.
• Hold office hours to meet with you synchronously about whatever’s on your mind.
• Organize workshops (which could be synchronous or asynchronous) with faculty who have expertise in one or more of the platforms.

Which of these ideas appeal to you, if any– and what other ideas should we consider?

You have also have just the germ of an idea, and we’re interested to hear that, too. That is, you may know you want something without knowing quite what it is that want. In that case, you might also use the space below to describe the kind of support you’d like to have, and we can try to figure out how to provide it.

We are in solidarity with you, and we’re eager to hear what you think, Please tell us in the comments below!