Needless to say, I felt like a brand new teacher this year when my school went to distance learning. Teaching online was a shock to my system, very hard to do, and at times really frustrating. I had many of the same feelings I remember having as a new teacher. But, I also had some new insights and things I want to bring with me when we go back to in-person school. Here are my top five:
Online Assignment Submissions (turning homework into learning management platform)
Not having to physically collect and return papers has been HUGE! The time spent passing papers back and forth, the papers that went missing (by both students and maybe occasionally the teacher), and the act of physically writing on each paper were not missed this year. When we are back in person I am thinking of still collecting homework electronically. An bonus, there is a paper trail of if and when a student turned something in.
2. More check-ins (using forms or other online tools to monitor students)
Teaching high school meant staring at many blank zoom squares. It took me time to figure out how to connect with students that I could not see or hear. As a way to try to connect with my students, I gave a quick survey about once a month to check in with them about school and their overall well-being. Students seemed more willing to open up to me about some things when they could answer at their own time and know that only I would see their responses. I definitely want to keep doing these check-ins (and most likely electronically) in the future.
3. More online resources for students (yay to the video libraries)
It’s been great to pop a quick review video up for students to watch if they want extra instruction on a topic. Yes, it was time-consuming to make these videos, but now I have a small library of videos I can pull from. Going forward I may not make as many videos (I don’t see having the time when we are back on a regular schedule), but I will continue to reuse my current supply, and I’m hoping other teachers have made more videos during this time that I can pull from also.
4. “Office/tutoring hours” online (offering more flexible times for extra help)
I’m very protective of keeping my lunchtime to myself (I need a few minutes to eat and decompress and sometimes nap mid-day) try to find alternatives to opening my classroom up to students during lunch for extra help. After school help can be tricky because students have sports, are picked up by their parents right after, or have to catch a bus. I ran the idea by my students of evening office hours and they thought it would be a great idea. Holding virtual office hours, even when we are back in-person learning can accommodate everyone’s schedules and also give a little breather after school.
5. Provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding
Teaching online has forced allowed me the opportunity to explore assessments besides typical paper and pencil tests. In the past, I have included some alternative forms of assessment, but this year I HAD to change things up. One tool I loved was Flipgrid. Flipgrid is an online program where students can create video and audio submissions. I got to see and hear my students talk about math. I always wanted to explore more individualized assessments, being able to hear each student’s explanation, and Flipgrid gave me the tool. I’m definitely adding video/audio submissions as assessments to my toolbox.
As I looked back over this list I noticed that these suggestions are not just time savers or tips for me as a teacher, but I think my students will benefit from them as well! What ideas do you have? What will you bring back?