Faculty Spotlight - Lijiao Serven

Transitional Studies instructor Lijiao Serven loves teaching because "our students come to our classes with big dreams and hopes and so many powerful stories."  For her developmental English and College Success classes, she's holding optional online study time for her students to work together and making videos for her classes. Her advice: "When it gets difficult, focus on your dreams and goals and keep going!"

What do you teach at EvCC? 

I teach developmental English and College Success. In the past, I have also had the opportunity to teach Mandarin Chinese, which is my native language. 

Tell us a little about your professional background. 

I started teaching English as a Second Language in 2005 in China, where I was born and raised. I fell in love with teaching at the beginning of my teaching career when I was in the classroom with students. Two years later, I came to the United States on a F-1 Visa to attend graduate school, during which time, I taught Mandarin Chinese and English as a Second Language at two universities. That experience planted the seed for my love of teaching in the higher ed because of the great joy I experienced while working with college students. It took me almost four years to get a teaching job in higher ed after I earned my master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. But I feel fortunate that I was ready to grab the opportunity when it came.

Why did you choose EvCC? 

I had heard good things about the college before I came on board. And once I started working in my division, Transitional Studies, the people I work with proved that I clearly made the right decision. I work with SUPER people who are passionate about what they do and support one another. Being around them makes a big difference in my daily work life. In addition, my students make what I do meaningful! I am grateful that I have the opportunity to work with all kinds of students on campus. I came to the United States as an international student in 2007. Later on, I became an immigrant after I got married and built my own family. I am also a first-generation college student. Our students come to our classes with big dreams and hopes and so many powerful stories, which is another reason I look forward to going to work every day!

How has the pandemic affected you? How are you doing? 

I am doing well, in general. My husband and I both work full time from home, so we have two paychecks coming in. Financially, we are not negatively affected. We feel very fortunate to be able to work from home while homeschooling our older daughter, Cora, who is a second grader. Our younger daughter, Hazel, has been extremely happy that daddy is home all the time and that we don’t drop her off at her preschool from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. any longer. My husband and I Zoom at the same time (which is unavoidable from time to time), and when Hazel pops in to say “Hi”, my students seem happier. 

I sometimes feel guilty for the privilege we have when I think about what’s going on in society, in our community, and in my classes. I have been trying to be available to my students as much as I can and accommodate them reasonably, and sometimes, that means responding to student email at 8 p.m. on a Saturday. Some of my international students are taking classes from their home country, which means there is roughly a 15-hour time difference. It is particularly difficult for my international students as many of them are here alone without their family members and/or friends. A few of them are living in the dorm on campus and told me that they rarely see anyone, if ever. That makes me feel sad. 

How have you adapted your curriculum and teaching methods to support students who are learning from home?

Curriculum-wise, in both of the writing classes I teach, I’ve made two adjustments to adapt the content for weekly journals and add more relevant writing prompts for students to choose from. Students are still working on their writing skills through these assignments; however, the weekly journals they turn in also give me an opportunity to check in on them. 

In terms of teaching methods, I have been utilizing Canvas shells and TILTed (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) most of my assignments before the COVID-19 pandemic happened when I was teaching face-to-face. After we moved online, I restructured the Modules with consistency and a weekly to-do list to make them simple and easy to navigate. In order to make up for the missed face-to-face instruction, I have been making videos as I learn more about my students’ learning experience and performance in each class I teach. I spend hours on Mondays and Fridays “teaching” on Zoom during our scheduled (but not required) class study sessions and hold office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays to accommodate my students. Most students come to these study sessions, and we get to work together for a good chunk of time! 

I aim to provide clear (yet detailed) and timely feedback on their work. After spending the first couple of days doing an orientation of our Canvas shells and technological tools we would be using to learn, my students were able to get going. 

In order to make it fun for my students, I try to change the picture on Canvas homepage once a week and play with different teaching tools such as Padlet and Zoom Whiteboard while practicing with students.  

What advice do you have for students who are taking online or livestream classes for the first time?

I have taken online classes myself as a student and an instructor for professional development opportunities, and I think there are a few things that would be useful to know: 
Be positive and confident. Understand what you are getting into. Evaluate yourself as a learner. Know your strengths and areas that need to be improved. 
Have a routine. Manage your time efficiently. Don’t wait till the last minute. 
Use the resources on campus!!! We are all here for you!!! Reach out to your allies and keep those connections. Know when and how to ask for help. 
When it gets difficult, focus on your dreams and goals and keep going! Step out of your comfort zone to grow! 
Check your EvCC student email and Canvas daily. Communicate with your instructor in a timely manner. 

What do you like to do for fun? 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, my kids and I have been baking weekly on the weekend. We’ve planted green onions and cilantro in our tiny garden and watch them grow happily. We also have been trying new recipes and cooking together as a family. And of course, reading with the girls!  

What is your favorite snack?

Sunflower seeds.

Anything else you’d like to add? 

I miss seeing my students and our interaction in the classroom. It’s been great seeing their faces on Zoom and Google Hangouts, but it is different. I want them to think about their career options as they are going through this special time and know that education matters and will pay off in the long run.