Enjoy your enforced break...

Yes, that's what many people said when the university closed down following the government's directives and I was suddenly left as a teacher without a class (see previous blog post). But the crazy reality of the situation is that I've been busier than ever. Any thoughts of indulging in days of redrafting my work in waiting (as I now call it – 'progress' is simply not happening) have been pushed to one side as I've struggled to adapt to the new normal in the face of the Covid pandemic.

When we were given the task of switching to online lectures and classes, my mind went into overdrive as I tried to navigate my way through instructions for Teams, Zoom and Whereby. I was already using It's Learning, Canvas and Edmodo, but the new platforms I was being presented with (and resisting strongly) were for what I hate most in the world: sitting in front of a camera.

Avoiding the camera at the back of every group

From the age of about three, I've scowled my way through family photos, teenage angsty portraits and group snaps when I was at university. I was always the one practising avoidance tactics.

Still more extreme camera aversion

Then, blissfully, we went to South Africa, where the scenery was more interesting than me for everyone concerned, and of course I had two pretty daughters who loved being the subject of their father's photographic obsession. Exit stage Val and enter blissful oblivion for several long years.

Once back in Europe, though, digital cameras started appearing and I had to resume my ducking and diving all over again, an increasingly difficult task now no one had to worry about wasting film. Then Skype suddenly came to the fore and people wanted to talk on camera. Oh curses. Why on earth would anyone want me to sit and talk on camera? I mean, me? Luckily, I found an excuse for that too. The wifi on the boat was much too unstable, so we could only use audio. Result!

And so this is how I've spent a lifetime managing to successfully to evade the kind of screening I hate so much; that is, until now. The sad truth of the current situation is this: no video means no classes; no classes mean no work; no work... well, I can leave you to finish that one off for yourselves, can't I?

Last week, though, I plucked up the courage to have my first Zoom lesson online. And to my own astonishment, I quite enjoyed it. Chaotic, it undoubtedly was. My students and I couldn't make contact with each other at all at first: the blind leading the blind came very much to mind. But eventually, after numerous emails and messages had hurtled through the airways at rapid fire speed, we managed it, and then spent nearly an hour discussing the way forward for them. This coming week, we'll be repeating the process, at which time, I hope it will be somewhat easier to get things going. Then maybe by next month, when I have another new course starting, I'll be able to face the prospect with a little more equanimity.

So where was I before I started this? Oh yes. That enforced break...now just remind me. What was that supposed to be?

Have a good week, allemaal. Keep your distance, keep safe, and for heaven's sake, stay well!