By Russ Goodman, Professor of Mathematics, Central College, @CentralsProfG

Twenty years ago, we were ready to take over the world! Our 2002 Project NExT cohort of Forest Dots were fresh, energetic, nervous, motivated, and eager to make its mark on the mathematical world. We were from diverse backgrounds and headed to a variety of institutions, but through Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching), we were part of one community. 

Inspired by that community, I wanted to take the lead in organizing our Forest Dot virtual reunion during the 2021 Joint Mathematics Meetings. I have stayed well-connected to a number of those brothers and sisters, and less-than-well-connected to others. Regardless, my Forest Dot family has always been there for me and while I did not know how many would show up that night, as their faces began appearing in my Zoom window, the years just melted away. 

Our cohort (of 70-strong) has collectively had quite a variety of career paths, but our conversations on the email listserv and at in-person meetings at conferences have been helpful and meaningful. In the early years we reassured each other that yes, we indeed had an idea of what we were doing, or, when we didn’t, we gave each other helpful ideas, or at least shared solidarity in our ignorance. As the years went by, the email conversations diminished in quantity as our confidence in teaching our students, doing research, and emerging as leaders grew. We eventually were asked to serve in “next step” roles as consultants for new cohorts of NExTers, young whippersnappers who were...just like us! We offered both sage advice and sympathetic silence as needed to guide or merely listen to the young NExTers when they had questions or concerns.

And now here we are in 2021, almost a year into the Covid-19 pandemic which has upended so many things. Few of us can say we have been unaffected by the pandemic, especially in our teaching. I had the “luck” to be on sabbatical in the spring of 2020. As a result, I was spared the shock of making an immediate switch to “remote learning” or whatever gentle phrasing our institutions used to not say “online school.” My misfortune, however, was in helplessly watching my colleagues have to make this transition — working long days through stress and exhaustion to serve their students as best they could. My faculty friends encouraged me to not feel guilty about my circumstance, but a big part of me wanted to join the fight, to learn how to make this transition, and to show how well I could do it with and for my students. In the end, though, I watched my colleagues, both in and out of mathematics, identify the best resources, knowledge, and technology they could, and deliver a tremendous experience for their students...at a great emotional, mental, and physical cost. Throughout this pandemic and the upheaval to our classes and to life as we know it, one thing remained steady: our community. The community of faculty, working together to serve their students, has been and continues to be remarkable. 

I sat at my laptop on Friday evening, January 8, 2021, catching up with nine old and dear friends and, of course, of course!, the conversation transitioned from families, children, and travel adventures to teaching. And within minutes, I was back to 2002, listening to my colleagues offer fantastic ideas on: 

• How to manage Zoom class periods with the help of a work study student to ensure the Zoomers receive adequate attention and get their questions answered;

• How to create individual student whiteboards with cardstock, plastic sleeves, and Sharpies, which allow students to engage, whether or not they are on Zoom;

• How to get students to be more likely to have their Zoom cameras on during class periods;

• How to rig a laptop and document camera/iPad on Zoom simultaneously to be able to annotate the discussion; and

• How to use Google Jamboard for virtual class bonding activities as well as for students displaying their work.

Ninety minutes later, after the reunion had ended, I reflected on the night and marveled at how a chance to reconnect with my cohort turned into an impromptu discussion of teaching tips...much like our conversations back in 2002. Our reunion was successful on so many levels because our Forest Dot community has changed, years have gone by, our lives and careers have evolved in innumerable ways, but I was reassured that the community, the family, I joined back in Burlington, Vermont, was one I could count on for my entire career.