The process of teaching at any level online has been a major transition for the majority of educators. This process of learning, of course, is not easy for the students either. Students have to do more independent studying even when a teacher is available for them to ask questions by email or an occasional Zoom call. You talked with one of your students yesterday on Zoom who has moved back to her home in Oman. It was mid afternoon for you, but it was 12:30 a.m. for her. And for your student living in Vietnam, you have a 12-hour time difference. You have met with your students twice as a class, and you were amazed that your student in Vietnam joined you both times, even though it was 2:30 a.m. for her.
Since the pandemic began, most of my students have moved back home—not only to Oman, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, but to their farms and hometowns in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, and Hawaii. Only a few weeks ago, you were together in a classroom in the midwest, and you will never all be together again. That fact, of course, makes you the most sad.
The university is hoping to resume classes on campus in the fall, and you will be teaching part-time again, so you will only have 50 students instead of 100. That will certainly help your overload situation, with the added bonus that you will have the summer to relax and recuperate.
You know that you are not alone, and information that you are reading online proves it, no matter at which level instructors are teaching. You wish the best of luck to all your colleagues as you finish out this very unusual school year, and best wishes to all the students and their families as they complete this semester together with the their all too sudden virtual teachers.
How Has Your Career Changed in the Months Since the Pandemic Began?
Whether you are teaching English class to international students or you are in charge of remotely teaching physical therapy students or chiropractor to use functional assessment tools, the reality is that every instructor is needing to make adjustments. And once the amazement at the value of technology wears off, the reality of teaching specific skills like the use of functional assessment tools becomes important. From chiropractic adjusting instruments to the use of dynamometer muscle testing equipment, it is difficult to teach some techniques online. And while it may be manageable to teach writing courses over the internet, to learn how to use functional assessment tools you really need to have a patient. Fortunately, there are some clinics that are getting ready to open back up so that physical therapy and chiropractic students can practice with functional assessment tools in person.
And in a time when so many people are unable to access the gyms where they used to work out, it should come as no surprise that there are more people looking for guidance when it comes to recovering from injury, joint pain, or other kinds of mobility limiting conditions. With the use of scans, physical assessment software, and the latest digital functional assessment tools there are some ways that doctors can still deal with patients suffering from chronic pain.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the need for functional assessment tools and treatment plans from both physical therapists and chiropractors:
- It is estimated that chiropractors treat more than 27 million Americans a year, with a chiropractic adjustment being performed around 1 million times every business day in the US. Finding a way to train the next generation of doctors, however, may be a digital challenge that many schools need to solve
- Currently, Americans spend $50 billion each year on back pain.
- Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide
- Research indicates that four out of 10 Americans will approach a chiropractor before a doctor when suffering from lower back pain.
From automatic strength tests to various kinds of chiropractic adjustment tools, the nation depends on the next generation of therapists and doctors. Learning to manage these trainman programs with the increased amount of online learning is a challenge that needs to be solved.