I have been involved in some form of virtual/online education since 2009. This includes secondary and college teaching jobs. Online teaching is a wild and mysterious journey. There is a degree of unpredictability that is uncomfortable to some teachers. Still, the cutting edge techniques employed can help students grasp content and quality learning can take place.
This type of teaching is quite different from traditional teaching and requires different methods and techniques. While I do not have resources to back my claims (I may have read about some of this over the years, but did not keep a bibliography of my findings), I have compiled a list of tips that have helped me be successful over the years. Feel free to borrow any of these ideas. Here we go... Consider Independent Activities - Students will be spending much of their time working apart from the watchful eyes of their teacher. They need to be given activities that can be completed with minimal instructions. This is a HUGE mindset change for most teachers. Let’s face it, we like to know the kids understand what is being taught. Some students will not be able to work independently. These are the ones who can be guided during office hours or class time. Students are amazingingly adaptable and may surprise you with their ability to work alone. Give Written and Recorded Instructions - Flood the students with instructions from many sides. Give written instructions. Show the kids how to do the assignment during your live lesson. Record yourself giving instructions and give students access to watch the video multiple times if necessary. Auto Grading is Your Friend - Google forms has this amazing feature that will automatically grade student quizzes. All you have to do is transfer it to your gradebook. Use this to save time as you check for understanding. Don’t Grade Everything - In some cases, online grading takes a bit longer than traditional grading. Consider only grading “big point” items. You may also want to give credit for completion rather than for correctness on certain assignments. Take Advantage of the Live Lessons - Use this limited time wisely. Give direct instruction and answer questions, but also take time to uplift, encourage, and inspire students during this unprecedented time. Online school can be lonely. Connect with students and let them know they are not alone. Use Online Tools - There are a plethora of online tools to help students complete work virtually. Think outside of the box. Try online bulletin boards with Padlet. This website allows students to post text, pictures, and even links on a board that can be viewed by everyone. It is a great way to share ideas. Maybe have the kids use Prezi, an online presentation tool similar to slides but with more features. Prezi allows for more creativity and style. Have the kids build websites on google sites. The possibilities are endless. Consider a Teacher Website or Blog - A website is a great place to present materials, videos, announcements, and other information in a central location. Yes it is extra time and work, but it could be quite helpful. One disadvantage is most websites are public. This means people outside the school can stumble upon your page. Do not put personal information about the students, information about grades, or anything else you don’t want to be public knowledge. One positive advantage is that parents and guardians can see what the kids are learning. I use my website in conjunction with google classroom to give my students the best possible virtual experience. There are many free website or blog building tools like weebly, wordpress, or blogger. Set Work Times and Boundaries - While working at home, it may be difficult to separate your work life from your home life. After all, work and home are now in the same place. You may find it hard to transition from teacher to parent or spouse. To be available for your family and friends you may want to set specific work times. My hours range from 7:00 to 2:30. I strive to limit my work hours to those times. Find a time that works well for you and stick to it. I understand that “teachers are always thinking about teaching”. If you have to work past these hours, take a break before you start working again. You may possibly want to schedule time in the evening to work as well. Be clear with your scheduled work time. Let friends and family know that you are still on the clock even if you are at home. During this time, most people understand the seriousness of working remotely and should respect this boundary. Find a Workplace - We all need a quiet and distraction free place to work. It could be your empty classroom, home office, or other location in your house. Make sure this location has no background noise as most computer microphones are quite sensitive. If you are using a webcam, make sure your background is neutral and appropriate for school. Be Flexible - Students may be having a hard time adjusting to online learning. Honestly, most teachers are having a hard time with this too. Give a little grace. Consider extending due dates. Allow students to redo work. Make alternate assignments for those who don’t understand or are having technical difficulties. Be Creative and Think Outside of the Box - Many teachers have the impression that they can just adapt their classroom activities to an online format. This does not always work. You may need to adjust your time honored assignments to fit into limited instruction and the online format. Search for creative ways to do this. The internet is full of fantastic modifications and useful tools. Reach out to others as well. Put your guard down and roll up your sleeves. This is going to be a rough and unknown journey as we try to make the most of this historic school year. Your students are looking to you for guidance and stability during this time. Be the positive encouragement in their lives. Make each day count. Bonus Tip - Computer Glasses - Staring at a screen for hours on end can put a strain on your eyes. Consider buying a pair of blue light blocking glasses. These are supposed to block harmful light and ease the strain of looking at a screen all day. I have been using these for years. Although I have no scientific proof, these glasses seem to work.
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