Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1380872
Rangel became creative with technology. She incorpo- rated MusicFirst, which helps students learn how to read music while performing and creating music, and Smart- Music, a web-based suite of music education tools and home to an online, interactive music library, so students could play their solos with a background track. "I never would have thought to use these programs before, because it would have seemed like an extravagance," admits Rangel, who does her own fundraising for instruments and programs. "But now I am more open-minded, and I see them as tools to help students learn." Teaching in the pandemic has given Rangel more patience, and she has stopped being hard on herself when things don't work out as planned. "Maybe because I've become a student again, I see things with a fresh eye. I have become more patient with students that struggle. After the pan- demic, we'll still have concerts, performances and festivals, but it won't be the be-all and end-all. I want to focus more on students' progression and have them appreciate music, instead of just being in one performance after another." Developing more empathy Nicole Carrasco, a sociology professor at Bakersfield College, says the pandemic has helped her put things in perspective. "e world of higher education can be a pretty brutal place," observes Carrasco, a Kern CCD/CCA member. "Faculty are always thinking about rigor, and sometimes this overshadows our humanity." Some of her students are caretakers for family members who are ill. Or they are attending class in sweltering heat outdoors because they have no privacy in their home. Students have called crying because they are too stressed and overwhelmed to complete assignments. "I am able to be a more compassionate educator without compromising the quality of my classes. I have given myself permission to put my students and their well-being first." —Nicole Carrasco, Kern CCD/CCA "For me, the boundary between faculty and students has broken down as we find ways to support each other. I am choosing to focus on the humanity of my students. I tell them I will work with them. My priorities as an edu- cator have shifted." She allows students to turn in assignments later if they need more time and to work col- laboratively. And she has extended office hours to help them understand the material and to support them emotionally. She wasn't surprised when students began trying harder and achieving more when she became an ally. "Because of the pandemic, I am able to be a more compassionate educator without com- promising the quality of my classes. I have given myself permission to put my students and their well-being first." Serving up food and compassion When schools closed, multiple districts continued serving meals to ensure students did not go hungry, including the Redlands Unified School District. Many low-income students rely on breakfast and lunch at schools for their main meals. And in the pandemic, many families have been struggling even more due to the economy. In Redlands, staff united to make sure students — and com- munity members — were fed before the schools reopened for 24 cta.org Feature Candy Blanco