Pen and paper at the ready, URL link good to go, mic on mute... it can only mean one thing - it’s time for a lesson on Zoom.

Except for this time, I’ll be a student, not the teacher, as I embark on an MBA in educational leadership that begins with an intensive week of lectures on Zoom.

I eagerly await my new learning experience, contemplating how nice it will be not to lead or be in control of the teaching.

As a student, I can surely sit back and relax a bit more. Having taught online for four months, learning online should be a breeze in comparison...

The network effect

The Master’s opens with greetings from the course directors and introductions from my new classmates. 

Everybody introduces themselves in a professional capacity - 25 amiable faces in tiny boxes on my screen.

We are put into various breakout rooms with different people to complete ice-breaker tasks. There are awkward silences, laughs and moments where people try to speak at the same time. Navigating new friendships via a screen may be harder than I thought.

Everybody speaks about their jobs and their educational visions. Scattered all around the world, these are some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.

Honesty and vulnerability 

One of the students in a dark room whispers that he’s in his friend’s attic as he has to skip work to be there.

I realise in his moment of vulnerability that it’s the first time somebody has let their guard down.

He’s been the only person to say something for which people could judge him. It takes courage and strength to be vulnerable, especially around new people.

I admire his honesty. It reminds me that as teachers and leaders, we need to be honest and open with our students.

If a student is struggling to grasp a concept, a reminder that we too found this difficult in school can go a long way.

By the end of the first day of lectures, I feel drained: I realise how hard it is to just listen, to sit still, to make friends online - and I have a newfound admiration for my students who seem to do all of this with ease.

Routine learning

As the week progresses, I settle into my new Zoom routine.

Meeting the cohort from the year before leaves me feeling inspired about can be achieved when you put theory into practice.

One of our first modules is about the financial aspects of running an educational institution.

While I am eager to learn, I can’t help but wonder if I am capable at the tender age of 33 of studying a subject I always avoided in school.

Hearing my peers share the same doubts reassures me and I know that no growth happens in your comfort zone. I think of the students I’ve met in my time who’ve said things like “I’m not good at maths”.

The need for positivity 

While I can empathise with their feelings of self-doubt, it leaves me more determined than ever to instil a sense of self-belief and a positive attitude to succeed in the young minds who enter my classroom on 1 September.  

My Zoom week ends on a great note. The course content is highly engaging and I already have new ideas for school from it. The more time we spent online too, the better I get to know my classmates.

On Friday, I spend an hour of lunch break chatting with two others and I realise connections can be made online without ever meeting in real life first.  

As we begin our inset week for teachers in Dubai, a week of being a student has been the best CPD I could have signed up for.

I’ve been reminded of the brilliance and resilience of our young learners as they navigated four months of distance learning. I am determined to ensure that friendship and connectivity remain at the core of my classroom no matter how many metres apart we sit.

And I promise myself to be honest with my students as we navigate this new model of learning together. Roll on the academic year.

Claire Heylin is Primary English Lead at Deira International School in Dubai