Randolph-Macon College student Abbey Crank ’20 knows that adapting to new situations is an essential part of college life. A scholar, athlete, New Student Transitions captain, and member of Delta Zeta sorority, she’s learned over the years to be open to new ideas.

Crank, a communication studies major and elementary education and special education minor, was student teaching at John M. Gandy Elementary School in a third-grade classroom during spring semester. Student teaching is a requirement for RMC education minors, and Crank was enjoying her time at Gandy and looking forward to the next step when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

From Classroom to Zoom Room
“I had two weeks left before I was supposed to move on to Patrick Henry High School to work as a special-education teacher for ninth-grade English,” she explains. “Although my time at Gandy was cut short by the pandemic, it was a positive experience for which I felt well prepared, thanks to my RMC education.”

In order to earn a license to teach in Virginia, education students must have a minimum of 150 hours of direct instruction. Because schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Crank had to find students to work with and move to virtual instruction through Zoom, an online video platform that has surged in popularity in recent weeks.

“I used Facebook to post about my free tutoring services and I also got students from referrals through Education Professor Amber Peacock,” says Crank, who is currently working with 10 students—including one in Malaysia—ranging in grades k-7.

“I’ve found Zoom to be a great platform to use for virtual instruction,” she says. “Zoom allows me to not only share my screen with students but give them control so they are able to take over and manipulate my screen on their own. I can also incorporate PowerPoint presentations, play videos, and use a virtual whiteboard with my students. If we are learning about a place or time in history, I can even change my background to match what we are talking about. For example, if we are discussing Ancient Greece, I can make it look like I have the Parthenon behind me.”

Challenges and Rewards
“The most challenging thing about teaching virtually is that this is new for everyone,” says Crank. “It’s a learning process. What I find most enjoyable about Zoom, though, is the one-on-one instruction. I know many of these students, like me, are missing day-to-day interaction with people outside of their families. Zoom is a great way to keep the connection. I also love seeing the students’ excitement about learning something new or finally having that ‘light bulb moment’ about something they previously had difficulty understanding.”

Pooling her Resources
Being a member of the swim team has been “the most rewarding experience I’ve had at Randolph-Macon,” says Crank, who serves as captain of the team. “I am so proud of my teammates for their dedication and hard work. As captain I’ve learned the importance of communicating with others, allowing for flexibility, keeping the team motivated, and having a strong sense of commitment. It was also an honor to receive the RMC women’s Swimmer of the Year award. I am very humbled.”

Creative Connections
These days, Crank keeps in touch with friends through FaceTime calls, Snapchat and texts. Not surprisingly, she is tapping into her creativity to find new ways to stay in touch with her Yellow Jacket family.

“I created a challenge on the RMC swimming Instagram page in which you do 10 reps of an exercise of your choice and then tag another swimmer,” she says. It’s been fun to see my teammates’ creativity with the challenge. It keeps us motivated and helps us feel like we are still together as a team. I hope to have a team Zoom chat in the future, and I stay in contact with my coaches and professors through Zoom, texts and email. Their support means so much to me and demonstrates how
RMC truly cares about students. Our community is one big family.”