One of the most common comments that I heard after telling people I'd be teaching only online this semester was something along the lines of, "Oh, so you'll never have to go to campus at all." There are a lot of things packed into this comment--the belief that all college instructors do is teach classes, the assumption that "online" is synonymous with "passive," etc. Strangely enough, it look me by surprise the first time someone informed me of my new, work-from-home-all-the-time opportunity. It wasn't as if I hadn't realized that I'd have greater schedule flexibility as an online teacher--indeed, the professional travel that consumes a lot of my time during fall semester won't influence my students' schedules at all, as there are no classes to cancel--but it had never occurred to me that I might simply opt to work from home on a regular basis. And, quite frankly, I have no plans to do so.
There are a number of reasons that working from home a majority of the time is not for me. First off is the fact that I have a number of other things that demand my time on campus. I serve as the Director of the Redwood Writing Project, which requires that I maintain a presence in our office and attend related meetings. I serve on campus committees, attend program meetings, and consult regularly with the course development person who is helping me with my online class. While not specifically related to my job, I also have walking dates two days of the week with friends in the department.
Beyond these job requirements, though, are the less tangible benefits of spending time on campus. One of the reasons, after all, that I became a college instructor is because I LIKE being at college. Surrounding myself with people who are engaged in the process of learning--about new academic subjects, new ideas, and the new people they will become--is energizing. I learn new things from my students all the time, and just walking across campus teaches me about the lives of young people today in a way I can't access from my home computer.
The most important reason for my coming to campus four days a week, however, is a simple desire to keep my home and work somewhat separate. Those who know me well know that I am rigorous in maintaining and active social life. I maintain separate email accounts for work and personal use, and I have general rules about taking work home--and even how often/late I will check my work email. I come to campus by 7:00 most mornings so that I can leave by late afternoon; after a break, I will do additional school work for an hour or two before calling it a day--and then check my email one more time before heading to bed with a book at night--but it is rare for me to stay up late or spend a weekend on school work. I need structure and boundaries to work efficiently, and the best way for me to maintain these is to come to campus for work and head home for play.
Of course, this morning, having woken up for the fourth straight day at 4:45 a.m. for no apparent reason, I couldn't help but think that the only specific thing on my schedule today is Virtual Office hours--something I can do from anywhere--and it occurred to me that I needn't get dressed and go to work. I ran through the possibilities in my mind, but I finally decided that I wanted to come to campus. While I like the flexibility allowed by online teaching, I don't want to turn my home into my workplace. I already work from home on Fridays--something I've done for years, after the introduction of my Virtual Friday classes--and I don't want to expand on that and upset my work/home balance. So, here I am in my office on the second floor of Founders Hall, preparing to put in a day online. I imagine that I may come to feel differently about my workplace in the coming years, especially if I continue down this road with online teaching, but for now I'm maintaining my physical work space.
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