Remote Work
On August 29, my alarm went off at 7:50 AM. I slowly negotiated myself out of bed, showered, put on one of my patented button-up shirts and was ready to teach. Today would be different though. Instead of the typical commute, wedging myself between strangers on a subway car, I was already there.
Just a few days previous, South Korea had reported 441 new COVID-19 cases, the highest spike since the outbreak started in March. In response, the Director of PEAI, J, let teachers conduct classes from home for just Saturday. This reduced commuting and teachers’ potential exposure to the virus at this tender moment. It was an experiment to see if it was feasible to let teachers work remotely.
Classes on Saturday must have been okay because we were given the option to teach all our classes from home the following week. So, after a parent consultation the following Wednesday, I did not return to PEAI to teach for three weeks. I considered coming in twice a week, but for the sake of science, I decided to work 100% remotely. What would it be like? There were a lot of questions swirling about in my head:
How would it affect my classes? Could my house mimic the classroom environment at PEAI? How would the isolation affect me? What would it be like without my peers? How would I collaborate with Linda in particular? Would working from home, in practice, actually be so great?
In theory, classes should run essentially the same. My setup is identical, actually better with the addition of my iMac—the only difference is that I would be physically present elsewhere.
After three weeks of remote work, a few things have become clear. To start, classes run similarly at home and at PEAI. There shouldn't be a difference, but the environment in which you work matters. Consider working in your bedroom vs. the library vs. a café vs. PEAI—your mindset and habits just aren’t the same. I had a touch of apprehension at the start because my first day of classes was not great. It was more because the lessons that day just weren't that engaging but I thought it may have been linked to my being at home. That night I really thought that this remote work thing just was not for me. After the next few days though, my apprehension faded after some sound classes. I also bought an ethernet adapter for my MacBook Pro to ensure a smooth connection. Choppy audio and/or video are a surefire way to have a frustrating, subpar class. Lesson learned.
I found myself in good spirits after that first week. Not having to commute saved a lot of time, and more importantly, provided peace of mind. I was concerned about using public transportation during the spike and this kept me away from it all.
What about the isolation though? I am a bit of a house cat myself, like many of you, so the time to myself was not unwelcome. I did expect the lack of socializing to affect me, but I just don’t think three weeks was long enough for the social impact of remote work to make itself felt. Perhaps if I go live in mountains as a hermit next time, I will feel effects more acutely. The fifth floor teachers did have some informal meetings on Zoom to chat and update each other. We played Among Us one night as well, which was a blast.
I’m still undecided on remote work. I enjoyed the comfort and convenience of teaching from home. Long-term though? I would lean towards a balance of remote work and classroom work. Perhaps four days at home and one day in the classroom or the like. For the sake of my health and safety though, I was grateful for the opportunity to teach from home. I don’t expect it will be the last.
BLT out.