Imagine waking up so excited about the day ahead because you realize it is Wednesday, the day that you meet with your favorite online class for two hours.
A huge grin spreads across your face from the east to the west because you can already envision how the session will go.
You know that there will be lots of laughs, thought-provoking discussions, engaging presentations, dynamic teachable moments, and surprising awakenings from questions or comments that you were not expecting.
You know that the combination of predictability and novelty will rank those two hours in the top five transformative experiences of your week.
And, so it happens.
From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., your students amaze you once, again. You can hardly believe that the experience was even better than you imagined, yet it is so.
The mixed emotions immediately flood in as your heart leaps for joy but your mind reminds you that this class is only temporary. It will come to an end very soon—much sooner than you would like.
And, then, it does.
The final session is held, and it takes everything in you to hold back the tears. As your students reflect on how their ideas about research have drastically changed, how they have learned so much about themselves from taking the course, and even how they enjoyed the sessions each week, and then finally how they appreciate you—it feels like your heart is going to explode. It seems to have no more space available for the numerous emotions that you are experiencing.
You react with laughter.
It is the safe and most professional way to handle joy with a dash of sorrow.
The class ends with sweet goodbyes, heart drawings on the whiteboard, and “I miss you’s.”
Now, you know that this is the epitome of what a fulfilling online community feels like and even though that class was so special, you hope that you will be blessed with the chance to be fulfilled, over and over again.
Can you relate? Have you ever experienced the thrill of truly connecting with an entire online class? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. I look forward to sharing more experiences, positive and otherwise with you in the next few weeks, as I reflect on this Fall Semester 2022.