Just barely

It's the end of week 3, and I am keeping up but just barely. Phew, getting everything online is a LOT.

I didn't realize how much students rely on conversations about what's coming up. You can do your best to be clear in assignment descriptions; you can spell out dates and expectations. But in the classroom I say, "So let's check in about Task A, which is coming up." A student will raise her hand and say, "So you want us to do Task B?" "No," I tell her, "do Task A." Someone else says, "Did you mean Task C?" "No," I tell her, "do Task A." 

Online, they just turn in Task B and Task C and, heck, Task Q from Planet X, and I am stuck trying to figure out how to respond after the fact. Extension/resubmission, because everybody could use a little extra flexibility here in the middle of the pandemic? Or is it reasonable to say "nope, following written instructions is a life skill I can reasonably expect a college senior to have acquired"? 

So far, three weeks in, no one has ever come to virtual office hours. Office hours are always quiet unless it's the week right after I return an exam, but they're rarely totally empty.

If I had the scheduling to do over again I would have asked for some synchronous meeting time for the class that's entirely asynchronous. I don't want to do very many Zoom meetings, but I get all excited about seeing my other students in our synchronous sessions. I haven't yet literally said "Hi you guys hi hi hi I missed you it's good to see you!" but it feels about like that.