Alexsandra Pakhomova and Maya Bornstein are teaching associates in the CSUN English department’s T.A. program.

Fall 2020 is their first semester teaching and they have to learn how to teach remotely.

Both Pakhomova and Bornstein acknowledged how hard this pandemic has been — a less polite word is humorously used by Pakhomova — but felt that they are developing new skills and a better sense of empathy as instructors that they would not under normal circumstances.