A sanctuary: Mourning the loss of the classroom during COVID

This reflexive essay explores the challenges and successes that I encountered as a professor during the transition from face-to-face teaching to remote teaching due to COVID. The essay outlines my thought processes and emotional responses to how unfamiliarity with teaching remotely, coupled with the stress of a pandemic, significantly impacted my teaching style. It also highlights my observations of students’ experiences from their shared discussions and interactions with other students as they navigated the initial onset of challenges during the spring term of 2020. The essay discusses the importance of adaptability during a time when we were collectively experiencing trauma, and embracing teaching practices that were supportive of students' educational and emotional needs. It highlights how navigating these challenges were beneficial for both myself and students, as we collectively addressed the complexities of changes to our personal and academic lives. This essay includes lessons learned as a professor and how I was able to maintain the integrity of the classroom by holding space for the experiences of students during a pandemic.