Virtual learning … it’s not as easy as many people thought it would be. It’s not just “Kids, get on a computer and learn.” Oh no, it’s A LOT more involved than that. From both teachers and parents.
I’ve been seeing some complaints circling around Facebook so I thought I would share a few tips on you can prepare to be a successful virtual teacher and supportive parent(s).
To the teachers,
The three things that are of high importance are clear expectations, consistency, and preparation. I highly recommend keeping your template simple and go
all in on the learning activities.
Set clear expectations and practice (routines); start and end class at the same time every time.
Involve the students in the instruction as much as possible. I challenge you to allow the students to speak more than you. No worries, it will get more manageable the more you practice.
Also, some students will mention being shy and not wanting to speak. A good reply would be “no problem, you may reply via the chat feature.”
Set a goal for participation and reward the students with 1-2 minutes of chat,
play a video or play music for a minute (GAME CHANGER)
Praise your students as often as possible (Virtual High Five, fist bump, snaps)!
To the parents or caregivers,
There’s no way around it. You have to have a plan. You HAVE to be involved, especially with the littles.
It’s a good idea to prepare the materials for the next day at the end of the day before.
Make sure your child has a learning space dedicated for learning – maybe a desk in his / her bedroom or a spot at the dining room table. I don’t recommend the couch or the bed.
Just like adults, kids thrive under routine. Get your child(ren) dressed as if they are going into a building and pack their lunch in the morning.
This one is so important! Give your child’s school and teacher GRACE. This is not what they were trained to do and virtual teaching is an art and takes lots of planning and organizing (go ahead and ask me how I know).
And above all, give yourself GRACE, too, especially if you have more than one child at home. You also probably didn’t think you’d be learning too. Thought you could work at the same time, huh? I know! But it gets better!