FACULTY FOCUS -- Crystal O. Wong, Ed.D., grew up in San Francisco, California. She began her teaching career in the San Francisco Unified School District as a K – 5 music, literacy and classroom teacher, where she taught for five years before starting a second career at San Francisco State University, where she has been teaching composition for 13 years in the writing program. She is also a faculty fellow on reflective practices in the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning at SF State.
“Creating a vibrant community is always on my mind, so the very first thing I do on the first day of class is pass around a tray of cookies and ask students to talk about their favorite type of cookie,” Wong wrote. “Immediately, the room is filled with surprise, smiles and chatter. That is why I was stumped when a colleague asked, ‘What do we do on the first day of class on Zoom?’ My impulse was to think about replicating those successful first-day activities, but what works face-to-face doesn’t necessarily translate well online.”