The experience of teaching a Bachelor's level social work practice course for the first time in the context of Covid-19

Authors

  • Jack Makolewski
  • Karen Lok Yi Wong The University of British Columbia

Keywords:

social work education, first-time teaching experience, bachelor's-level social work course, reflections

Abstract

The scholarship on social work education currently lacks accounts of first-time experiences teaching a Bachelor’s-level social work course, which is distinct in a number of respects from Master’s-level education. This teaching note shared the experience of the authors teaching a Bachelor’s-level social work practice course for the first time, in person, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors identified 10 key themes drawn from their experience, including: acknowledging that instructors and students can all contribute to and co-create a collaborative learning community; responding to anxieties, challenges, and mistakes; setting priorities; seeking feedback; using teaching support and resources; encouraging student engagement; acknowledging diversity; facilitating students to think critically; reflecting on the purpose of assignments and grading; and ongoing reflection on the teaching goal. It is the authors’ hope that their reflections can support other social work educators teaching a Bachelor’s level course for the first time.

References

Bogo, M. (2015). Field education for clinical social work practice: Best practices and contemporary challenges. Clinical Social

Work Journal, 43(3), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-015-0526-5

Delouche, A. (2019). Reflections of a first-time graduate teaching assistant. Communiqué (National Association of School

Psychologists), 48(1), 35–35.

Hiatt, K. (2021). A reflection on teaching online during COVID: Challenges and solutions. The Dental Assistant, 90(1), 10–12.

Jonuscheit, S., Lam, A. K. C., Schmid, K. L., Flanagan, J., Martin, R., & Troilo, D. (2021). COVID-19: Ensuring safe clinical

teaching at university optometry schools. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 41(1), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1111/opo.12764

Karattuthodi, M. S., C, S. C., Thorakkattil, S. A., Chandrasekhar, D., Punnoth Poonkuzhi, N., Mohammed Ahmed Ageeli, M.,

& Madathil, H. (2022). Pharmacy students’ challenges in virtual learning system during the second COVID 19 wave in southern

India. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 5(1), 100241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2021.100241

Lynn Glassburn, S. (2020). Where’s the roadmap? The transition from student to professional for new Master of Social Work

graduates. Qualitative Social Work, 19(1), 142–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325018807746

Malavasic, J. T. (2019). Collaborative learning communities in middle school literacy education: Increasing student engagement

with authentic literacy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429425103

McGranahan, E. (2008). Shaking the “Magic 8 Ball”: Reflections of a first-time teacher. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 28(1–2),

–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841230802178839

Meanwell, E., & Kleiner, S. (2014). The emotional experience of first-time teaching: Reflections from graduate instructors, 1997-

Teaching Sociology, 42(1), 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X13508377

Neff, K. D. (2009). The role of self-compassion in development: A healthier way to relate to oneself. Human Development, 52,

–214.

Nienaber, A. (2012). A presumptuous beginner: Some thoughts on teaching international law at undergraduate level for the first

time: Teaching of international law. South African Yearbook of International Law, 37(1), 301–313.

Penn, M. L., Currie, C. S. M., Hoad, K. A., & O’Brien, F. A. (2016). The use of case studies in OR teaching. Higher Education

Pedagogies, 1(1), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/23752696.2015.1134201

Richards-Schuster, K., Ruffolo, M. C., Nicoll, K. L., Distelrath, C., Galura, J., & Mishkin, A. (2016). Exploring challenges faced

by students as they transition to social justice work in the “real world”: Implications for social work. Advances in Social Work, 16(2),

–389. https://doi.org/10.18060/18526

Smollin, L. M., & Arluke, A. (2014). Rites of pedagogical passage: How graduate student instructors negotiate the challenges

of first-time teaching. Teaching Sociology, 42(1), 28–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X13502181

Downloads

Published

2023-01-24