2020 has been a year of uncertainties, and I am sure that this coming school year will be no different. However, my mom (the creator of teach between the lines) was able to create a plethora of online teaching curriculum plans and ideas to help ease students into learning from home.
One of the hardest lessons I had to learn when I first started learning from home was that it was not as easy as I had hoped it would have been. Learning from home and learning in a classroom are two very different things. It took me a while to get the hang of online school, so as a teacher, I would try to anticipate a learning curve with your students as they adjust to this new normal. Some students may have a longer learning curve than others, the best thing you can do to help students with this, is to encourage them to come to you with any questions and concerns that they have. Whether that be through email, skype, or whatever systems your school has in place. There were many times throughout my high school career that I would get frustrated with learning online and would often reach out to my teachers’ in these times with questions, and their responses help made the difference for me.
Translating Classroom Norms into Online Settings:
One of the more trying challenges of teaching in an online setting is attempting to keep engagement and motivation alive within your students. When I look back on my time as an online student, I have noted some of the more helpful things that teachers did for me when I was transitioning to an online setting and thought it would be useful to share some of this with you.
1. Show your face when you can. Seeing the teacher behind the screen and being able to associate a look with a name was incredibly helpful for me when it came to establishing the teacher-student connection that is so hard to get in an online setting. This helped me feel more comfortable when I needed to turn to teachers for help.
2. Allow opportunities for engagement with peers, whether this comes from discussion posts, group projects, or other forms of connection. A struggle online students can often face is feeling the solitude of being home, especially when many are home alone. The ability to collaborate with other kids allows a sense of normalcy.
3. Exciting and Fun Lessons. Unfortunately, there will always be those lessons that are required to be taught but aren’t very fun or exciting for students. But to the best of a teacher’s ability, the best experiences are the ones that keep kids on their toes. These can be games, or gallery walks, creative assignments, or fun stories. Something that appeals to kids’ hobbies or humor. The most retained information comes from lessons that kids are excited about doing. My mom made several products like this, my favorites being The Argument Games Unit, and the #ONEWORD Goal Setting Assignment. There is also a freebie available for an Argument Game!
4. Have an understanding of different situations. As I stated earlier, this has been a very trying year for many. Many students may be feeling depressed or anxious, and many could be in grieving, as they may have known someone who was affected or passed due to the current pandemic. This can make it challenging to stay motivated and to try your best with your assignments. I know as I grieve the loss of my mom, I struggle to find the will and energy required when it comes to completing tasks and meeting deadlines. Unfortunately, I am in college and don’t have much “wiggle room,” but if I were a high school student right now, I would desperately want the understanding of my teachers. There were times when I was going through different trials while in school that made it difficult for me to be a good student, and some of my favorite teachers to this day, are teachers who had the compassion and patience to help me while I was struggling. This kind of teaching is especially important right now.
5. Try to be there as a guide for your students as much as you can. Make sure they know that you are here to help them and support them and that you are rooting for them to succeed. Having someone cheering you on can be critical for many students who may not receive that at home.
My mom also wrote another blog post with different advice about distance learning available here. While I know this is a trying time for teachers right now, especially, so much of this not being what you signed up for. I hope you know that so many people genuinely appreciate every one of you and the hard work and dedication you put into your job to make sure you can help your students succeed. This may be different than what we are all used to, but as we move forward, we may learn many valuable lessons from this experience. That should be what we hold on to. I wish you all the best of luck as you are starting the school year, and I will be back in a couple of weeks with a blog post to help explain the best help you can give a grieving student. Thanks!
