Online teaching made me more accessible, helped me get to know my students, and cultivate my practice of antideficit behaviors. Despite teaching from a distance, my interactions with students were richer and more frequent than in a face to face setting. Office hours traffic increased noticeably and more students than average took advantage of the time for one-on-one or small group discourse in a less formal setting. And, although most of the conversation was related to the course and chemistry, students were more likely to initiate conversation about topics outside the course and of a personal nature. I attribute part of this to the structural ease of attending virtual office hours, but I believe a more important factor was my conscious practicing of antideficit behaviors and use of antideficit language during class. These two factors broadcast the message that I was accessible in both body and in spirit. This talk will focus on reflections of how non-antideficit behaviors encourage students to keep their distance and practical ways to cultivate antideficit habits of mind and action. Audience members will be encouraged to share their strategies for consciously assuming an antideficit perspective in their teaching and other interactions with students. And we will discuss how to maintain the positive aspects of distance teaching after we all return to “normal”.

How online teaching made me more accessible, helped me get to know my students, and cultivate my practice of antideficit behaviors

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.