9 Tools for Teaching Online
Hint: The first one starts with you!
A few weeks ago, at the onset of “social distancing,” as schools began to close and all events for the foreseeable future were canceled, I was asked to facilitate a 45-minute online session for teachers about teaching online!
The task was to provide a solution to a foreseeable problem: How might we support teachers as they pivot to distance learning when their lives and their student’s lives are undergoing massive transition?
As a former classroom teacher and current online instructor and coach for educators and business professionals, I don’t claim to have all of the answers. What I do know is this: Every closed door opens another one and maybe, just maybe, there are opportunities in this global shift.
Enjoy these nine tips for effective distance teaching and let me know what you think!
Take care of YOU!
(I’m tempted to stop the list here.) Without you, there are no learning sessions. Without you, students cannot thrive and feel the warmth of your support.
What is “One Simple Thing,”* unrelated to school or work that you can do to take care of yourself? Will you go out for a walk or run each day? Will you take time to write or draw, play guitar, call a friend or listen to the birds? What is something that fills your soul and will help you nourish your mind and body so you can show up for your students?
To hold yourself accountable, tell someone else what you will do. Revel in the gift of time for yourself and encourage your students to practice “One Simple Thing” too.
*Adapted from Google’s re:work initiative
Hi! I’m Susan.
I am a Success Consultant for business professionals, entrepreneurs and educators. I support my clients through coaching, training and content development as they develop strategies to empower positive growth.
I love to write, so thank you for being here. Enjoy!
2. Build (and maintain) relationships.
Two weeks into my teaching career, I discovered the content I taught was irrelevant if I didn’t have a rapport with my students. As teachers, we know the success of any classroom dynamic is based on the strength of the relationships we build.
Although you aren’t physically with your students each day, what are activities you can do to maintain trust and build empathy? Is there a daily question you can ask? How might you do a check-in with your students? Even a simple question like “How are you feeling on a scale of 1-5?” will be a helpful gauge to understand where your students are. Follow up with them and ask them why they chose the number they did.
Small efforts will go a long way when your students feel seen and heard.
3. Develop (and follow) a routine.
There is a misconception that structure inhibits creativity and spontaneity. The truth is, routine and structure beget freedom. Setting norms and expectations early will allow students to know what to expect and enable them to discover flexibility within a framework designed to support them.
How might you start and end each class? What is the “theme of the week” or the “word of the day”? What are the goals for each session, week, month or unit?
Be transparent with your planning and invite the students to create the map with you. This is a new time for all of us and co-creation will allow your students to know they have a voice in the transition.
4. Facilitate learner-centered lessons.
Deriving from the definition of “facil” or easy, I prefer the term “facilitator” to “teacher.” I believe our role as facilitators is to join our students as they develop skills to navigate content on their own.
Now, perhaps more than ever, it is imperative for students to guide their own learning. Welcome students into the learning process by supporting them as they explore ideas they are interested in. What skills do they need to know to learn about their topic? How might they reflect on the experience? What product can they create that will help them develop their knowledge further?
5. Encourage “talking behind your back.”
A deviation from the teaching days of yore, now, “chatting” while the teacher is giving instruction doesn’t have to be a disruption. In fact, everyone will be more motivated if they know they aren’t alone. In synchronous learning environments, (those with everyone online at the same time), invite students to post comments and questions in the chat box. Urge students to reach out to one another to discuss the day’s lesson. Affirm the need to interact, even when apart.
6. Be familiar with your resources.
Here are some of my favorite distance learning platforms and resources:
Take a little time to play around with new tools, (and consider asking your students for help).
7. Remember: You are not alone.
Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of resources out there? Do you feel “stuck”? Searching the internet for the perfect way to teach a perfect lesson can be a daunting task. However, some organizations have already curated resources for you. You don’t have to “reinvent the wheel”! You are not alone in this. Check out these organizations dedicated to distance learning:
8. “Walk with” your students and colleagues.
This is our first global pandemic together. None of us know how to do this perfectly. We are all experiencing transition and are having to face the unknown. Reach out to your students to check-in on them and to ask them for support! Your students may surprise you with their ideas and unique perspective on the state of the world AND their new, virtual classroom!
According to scholar, Theresa Wiseman these are the four attributes of empathy:
Perspective-taking
Staying out of judgement
Recognizing emotion
Communicating emotion
Practice empathy by asking for support and watch your relationships and lessons flourish.
9. Be imperfect and mess up!
This will be messy. This will be imperfect. Lean into discomfort!
“Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It's a shield. It's a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it's the thing that's really preventing us from flight.”
-Brené Brown
Interested in a one-hour session about more tips and tricks to successful online teaching?
