Success in Online Classes for Teachers
This is the beginning of a new era, but the summer of 2020 is unlike any term any teacher has experienced, the ongoing global pandemic has changed everything we know about teaching and it is difficult to be fully prepared in times like these. However, as teachers and school leaders, we need to continue to educate the children in our care; this is simply a matter of finding new ways to deliver the curriculum, using the tools at our disposal to support students and parents to engage with this new method of learning. With this in mind, here is some advice on how to continue to succeed through remote education.
Stay in touch
Parents will be entering a new and potentially stressful situation here. Overnight they have become their children’s teacher and for many this was a real challenge. Even those who love the opportunity to be more involved in their children’s education may need some support or advice as the weeks go by. Contact parents to check how students are getting on and to support them with any issues that may arise. Don’t make this a one-off conversation; stay in touch regularly and chat about more than just school assignments.
Provide rich content
Yes, school is closed for the summer but this does not mean that learning has to slow down or stop altogether. To support parents with more practical activities to do, ensure that you provide rich content for the children to work on at home. The internet is a vast library of audio-visual and interactive content and providing links to useful resources will ensure that children continue to follow the curriculum and build on their knowledge.
Make it fun
Let’s not forget that children will also be finding this period of their lives stressful. They have been thrown out of their usual routine, they miss their friends, they are unable to go out to play and may be worried about family members or the future and you expect them to do school work too! It can be difficult to get children engaged, especially when there are so many other activities to capture their attention. Using an online tool means that you can add interactive games and fun videos to your learning materials; this means that children will engage more and will be more likely to learn.
Measure attainment
In the classroom, you have a range of systems to measure every aspect of a child’s development from arithmetic and literacy skills to how well they can hold a pencil or throw a ball. Measuring attainment remotely is much more difficult, but this does not mean that you should not try. After all, it is important to be able to show the children (and parents) how much they have progressed and knowing their ability level will make for a slightly easier integration when school finally reopens. Ensure that online lessons include tests and ‘homework’ that needs to be submitted and offer extra help to children where it is needed.
Control the pace
It may be tempting to post six weeks’ worth of content at once and leave the children to get on with it at their own pace, but this is not a good idea for many reasons. Firstly, seeing so much work at once can be off-putting or stressful for many children who will feel overwhelmed or that they have to complete it all at once. In fact, some students will want to race ahead and get the work done as quickly as possible, leaving them with nothing to do for the rest of the term. It is a much better idea to set work on a weekly or even daily basis; however, if you choose to plan, ensure that it is regular and consistent. Routine is important for us all and children will find it easier to engage with home learning when there is a structured system. To summarise, here are the key takeaways to ensure that remote education efforts and online classes are a success.
- Stay in touch: regularly check in with parents, chat about both school work and home life and offer support where needed.
- Provide rich content: follow the curriculum as closely as possible and supplement formal learning with audio-visual content and practical activities that children can do at home.
- Make it fun: use interactive games and videos to keep children interested and engaged.
- Measure attainment: use tests or set activities to be submitted back to you so that you can see how much improvement has been made and offer additional help where needed.
- Be consistent: work regularly; create a ‘timeline’ and stick to it.
