Many, if not all, teachers in Ontario have had to make frequent pivots in their approach to learning over the past year.
I returned to work back in September, and within one month went from teaching a face-to-face Grade 8 class to a completely virtual Grade 4 class. From eighteen teenagers to nearly thirty 8-year-olds.
Since I’ve been teaching online for several months, and our government recently announced that everyone will be going back online today, I thought it would be fun to throw together a little beginner’s guide to online teaching.
So, without further ado, here’s my top 10 tips for the virtual teacher.
1. Make yourself comfortable.
Get yourself a really good chair, wear your favourite slippers, pour yourself another coffee. Do whatever you need to do to feel like the best version of yourself. Build that community, share your true feelings, and get really comfortable talking to yourself all day.
Yes, you read that right. Sometimes, your voice is the only one you’ll hear all day. It’s going to feel so awkward and unnatural at first, but you’ll get used to it. Don’t take it personally!
2. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
You think kids get distracted in class? Let’s put a computer with internet access in front of their faces all day, shall we?
You’re used to repeating instructions though, right? Well, it’s hard to tell who is really listening in this scenario, so you’ll probably answer the same question many more times than you’d like to, and even when you think you’ve given the instructions in every way possible, you’ll still have kids who say, “I don’t get it.”
Keep reminding yourself that at some point, the responsibility has to fall on them, not you.
3. Use two screens. I repeat, TWO screens.
That laptop they gave you? It’s not going to cut it. Trust me.
If you’re lucky enough to have kids who put their camera on during class, you’re going to want to see all of their happy little faces. But you’ll definitely need the entire screen for that. Oh, but you want to share your screen for the lesson, too? Well, that takes up half of the Meet, so unfortunately, all of those little faces are going to get smaller and smaller.
What’s that? The kids say the video you’re showing is laggy? And they can’t really hear you? Oh, then maybe you’re going to want to upgrade your Internet… and how about you add an external webcam and microphone while you’re at it!
Sorry? You think there’s a budget for that? Ha ha, keep dreaming, kid.
4. That mute button is there for a reason. Use it.
You’ve carefully laid out your expectations for the online classroom. You frequently remind students to use the raise hand feature when they have something to say. You’ve taught them to use the chat to alleviate some interruptions.
And yet somehow, almost daily, you’ll be bombarded by students making comments or asking questions all at the same time. You’ll hear siblings in the background trying to do their own learning, construction workers renovating some part of a house, and maybe even someone’s pet making all kinds of racket.
The hustle and bustle of a face-to-face classroom is nothing compared to the sounds of thirty children coming through your speakers. And remember, headphones are great, until you’ve got all those little voices shouting directly in your ears.
All of this to say, don’t feel guilty when you hit that Mute All button. Some days, it’s needed.
5. Build your own support system.
If you’ve never taught face-to-face, I’m here to tell you that the isolation you’re feeling in virtual school is not normal. Most of us teachers believe our profession is collaborative, and we work together with grade partners, or division leaders to make the best plans for our students.
You’re passionate about art, but not sure where to start with gym? Here, let’s team up and trade resources. You’ve got a brilliant idea for our next math assessment? Great! Let me create some choice boards for our upcoming novel studies.
It’s really, really hard to start from scratch. You’ll burnout so fast, and it would be a shame to lose that spark you had in teacher’s college. I promise, there are people out there who would be happy to help you! Just do a quick Facebook search, and you’ll find plenty of teacher groups filled with ideas.
6. Remember, no one actually knows what they’re doing.
In this virtual world, we’re all up the creek without a paddle, really. We weren’t trained for this, and we’re learning as we go. So, when you feel like you’re the only one fumbling in the dark, stop for a second and take a look around. We’re all wearing the same confused expression as you.
7. Find ways to have fun.
Those kids you’re teaching? They likely don’t get much social interaction these days. Some of them might not even be leaving their house at all. And when they open up to you about how they’re feeling, it may leave you downright heartbroken.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the curriculum and all the days that keep slipping away. I know things are going painfully slow this year, but you’ve just gotta push pause sometimes.
Read them a book just because, do art projects on camera together, let them play games in breakout rooms, attempt and fail at virtual escape rooms as a class, and always, always listen to the stories they want to share. These are the moments that they’ll remember most.
8. When in doubt, do a scavenger hunt.
You’ve got 50 minutes of physical education at the end of your schedule today, and you already asked the kids to do a YouTube workout yesterday. Maybe one day you’ll have a better idea of how to teach gym and dance from home, but today is not that day.
Throw together some slides naming various objects, slap on a video timer for each item, and send them on a race around their house. Bonus points for those who share what they’ve found with the class!
What’s that? The sun is shining and it’s feeling warm outside again? Well then, a quick Pinterest search et voilà – you’ve got yourself an outdoor scavenger hunt posted on Google Classroom! Have fun and be safe, friends! I’ll see you tomorrow!
9. Laugh it off.
On those days when nothing seems to be going right, call up a friend, a sibling, your spouse or your mother, and have one of those “you won’t believe what happened today” conversations. Guaranteed, you’ll feel a weight lift off your shoulders, and you’ll remember to shrug, laugh it off, and try again tomorrow.
10. Take a deep breath… and another… and another.
Some days, you’ll want to quit. You may even question why you chose this career in the first place. But then you’ll take a deep breath and remind yourself that this year is not a reflection of your abilities. Time and time again, you’ll show up for those kids. And if nothing else, you’ll look back at this year knowing you were stronger than you ever thought possible. You’ve got this!
Did I miss anything? What would you add to the list?