Like many University of Miami faculty members, Danielle Houck, senior lecturer for Writing Studies, made a handful of adjustments—some of which were unplanned—as her courses transitioned to remote learning in 2020. Houck, an alumna of the University’s MFA program, has 20 years of teaching experience—in person and 10 years of asynchronous online instruction—and was familiar with the differences and challenges of online learning. Admittedly, she shared, the transition wasn’t always easy but the results of her time and effort were more impactful than she had ever anticipated.
Today, Houck is able to reflect on all that happened throughout the 2020–21 academic year. She is grateful for the many lessons she learned and the ’Canes community that she has continued to build. She credits her students and colleagues for showing up, even on difficult days.
“The night before my first fully remote class, I had a few students help me test out the lesson and give me feedback. Their support and enthusiasm provided the boost of confidence that I needed to start the semester,” said Houck. She also credited her colleagues for their ongoing assistance. “Our department and leadership, ensured that we were well-versed in cutting edge multimedia teaching and writing techniques, and ready to make this transition," she added. And thanks to a “teaching during the pandemic” group, she had others to lean on when challenges arose.
As her classes filled with new faces from around the globe, she made a personal decision to post her cell phone number for students. And she encouraged them to use it.
“I wanted the students to have my phone number to remove any anxiety or uncertainty,” she explained. “I also wanted them to know that I was accessible, despite any distance, and that I wanted to help.” And the phone number provided all that support.
Not surprisingly, the bulk of the outreach came via text. Some students touched base on assignments while they were caring for an ill family member; others asked to see pictures of Miami’s palm trees while they were studying at home in Alaska. And from time to time, some just needed to check in.
Danielle Houck and former student Selena Berry in July 2021.
Danielle Houck with former students Alex Sanjuro and Jordan Busch in May, 2021.“Everyone was facing something that we had never faced and I realized that my role was to try to keep the community together,” shared Houck. “Sometimes I would just ask students how they were doing, or exchange photos of veggie gardens, new quarentine hobbies, or pets. This was a new territory for all of us.”
Even on days when community building became challenging, Houck had to take her thinking outside of the box. “I definitely used humor to get through challenging times and opened up more than I expected to,” she said. Despite making light of new teaching tactics, she reminded students that she may joke around in class, but is serious about their success.
Through humor and transparency, something shifted and Houck could see the students connect more deeply. “The virtual aspect allowed us to explore new topics and introduce alumni speakers from various career fields,” she noted. “Students started asking questions that applied to real-life situations and experiences that were happening in real-time.”
As the spring semester came to an end, the more difficult questions came. “Will we ever see each other again?” “Will we ever meet in real life?” some students queried.
“For almost 20 years I took being in person for granted,” said Houck. “More than ever, the students helped me stay on track. I saw people struggle, and I struggled, but it was the community we built that kept us going. Our conversations and connections only grew over time—focusing on their next steps and goals.”
To the delight of her students, Houck decided to split her time between California and Florida and welcomed the opportunity to continue building connections by meeting many of her students in person when they reached out.
“To hear someone laugh in person—things like that don’t translate over Zoom,” declared Houck. “I decided early on in this process to put my heart and soul in every class, because I didn't see any other option. I am extremely grateful to every student and their thoughtful contributions—the way they looked out for each other, even virtually—and look forward to meeting more "Zoom" students and supporting their future successes. I am amazed that as ’Canes we were able to create moments of joy and synergy even with all we faced.”
Houck was awarded the 2021 Distinguished Faculty Award from the Toppel Career Center.
