Mary Beth Beazley

You’ve been teaching legal writing for a long time. How is your transition going as you move to teaching in the virtual classroom?

The short answer is that I miss the live classroom, but I’m learning some new skills. During break week, Professor Regalia led sessions on how to use Zoom, and I’m also learning from my mistakes. My students often collaborate on in-class writing, so I’m glad that Zoom groups are easy to use – I can even pop in to visit the groups – but it’s not the same as overhearing some confusion in a group and strolling over to check in. One-on-one conferences are nearly the same as live, depending on the wifi gods, of course. I’ve gotten to meet some family members as they wander through, and I love meeting all the dogs and cats. And since I have a side gig as a mother of young adults, I try to use those skills to make sure my students are doing okay, and to let them know how much we miss them!