Teaching Online: Shifting our Mindset

Initially, I was going to write a blog post of online resources, but asked myself “what would be most helpful for my colleagues in this challenging time?” We are already being bombarded by online resources, emails, and multiple online teaching platforms. Not to mention, all the late nights spent researching online resources! Two hours later, after going down that rabbit hole, I came out more overwhelmed than ever, by the sheer amount of materials out there! However, if you need more online resources, I can send you a list I’ve compiled! The following are some takeaways I’ve discovered over the past 3 weeks of online teaching that will hopefully be helpful.

Rome was not built in one day
These are uncharted territories and we are learning how to navigate along the way. Because of this, we are rebuilding our lesson plans from the ground up to make them accessible to our students online. And as we do that, we also have to take into account our students’ attention spans, internet technology access, and home environments. This can all be so overwhelming and we start asking questions like: “How do I meet the needs of my students?” “How will teaching special education and complying with IEP goals look online?” As a control freak, I had to realize to let go and do my best.

Reinventing the “Classroom”
As teachers, our classroom environment plays a vital role, acting as the third teacher in many ways. Suddenly, we are teaching without a traditional classroom set up and without classroom materials. Many of us had to compose 14 days of lesson plans in one day! We did not know when we would return to our classrooms and were not prepared to finish the school year virtually. This has forced us to think in creative ways. As a technology enthusiast, I had to remind myself to keep it simple and think -mini-lessons. Remember these are unusual times and our students are trying to learn in a home environment with siblings, sharing computers and phones with family members, being left with their older siblings for the day while parents are working, and in some cases, our students are not receiving three meals a day or adequate water and electricity.

Trial and error
As teachers, we are experts at trial and error. We use our reflections at the end of our lessons to drive our planning and objectives for our future lesson plans. We can apply these same skills to design our virtual lessons and learn which online platforms best support our students’ learning. Be patient with yourself and give yourself time to figure it out as you go.

Create a Balance
Not all lessons have to be via webcam. My principal has advised a specific amount of hours per day each grade level can be on webcam. It is important to balance our lessons out and have maybe 30 minutes of video teaching and then additional independent work assignments on platforms like Google forms, Google classroom, Quizlet, and Boom learning.

Tap into your support system
Teaching is a team effort. Be sure to lean on your coworkers with questions and success stories. We are all in this together and sharing resources that were successful in your lessons can benefit your grade-level teaching team and beyond. Together we can provide the very best virtual teaching-learning experience for our students.No matter which county or school district you are teaching for, we are all going through the same thing. I recently had a conference call with my former coworkers from another school district and we were able to encourage each other through this taxing time. Your coworkers can also keep you in check. My paraprofessional knows I’m a workaholic and made me promise I would not work on the weekends! ( easier said than done when working from home!)

Self care is key
Put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others. We often forget this and work through lunch break or go all day without using the restroom. Keeping a balanced work-life while working from home is a challenge. I can’t even imagine being a parent right now. Shout out to all teachers who are juggling teaching their students while parenting! The first thing I did was sit down and create a schedule so I wouldn’t end up working from my couch all evening. I also created a weekly meal plan so I can prepare meals ahead of time and not spend my entire lunch break cooking! At the end of the workday, I imagine myself leaving the school building as I clock out on my phone and close my laptop. I try to schedule a daily yoga video workout or Youtube workout class to manage any stress from the workday. In the morning, I like to listen to a meditation video while sipping my coffee, although realistically that has only happened about once a week so far! Hopefully, you can find time to relax and rejuvenate during your spring break.