Nervous about going back to school through a computer screen? Are you scared because you don’t know what to expect when you meet your students online for the first time? Same! In this blog post I’ll share some tips and advice to help you navigate this unique school year.

WHAT PROGRAMS AND SUPPLIES DO I USE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING?

For student work, we use Google Classroom because it’s super easy to assign work to each student. It’s also easy for students to navigate. I tried to use other programs last year, but Google Classroom was by far the best for what we needed!

For lesson planning, I love typing out my lessons on Google Drive. I don’t type out a script, but I do create an outline and briefly summarize how I want the lesson to flow. Doing this helps me visualize it, and because it’s automatically saved on Google Drive, I can go back to it in a week, month, or even a year! I’m sure that we won’t be teaching virtually next year (staying optimistic), but the lessons can still come in handy when I’m back in the classroom. I’m all about recycling my lessons and not reinventing the wheel.

I find that I spend no more than 10-15 minutes planning each lesson because so much of what I’m teaching this year, I’ve taught in the past. I also don’t strive for perfection when planning my lessons.

For lesson delivery, I use Zoom, sometimes a PowerPoint presentation, and a document camera when I want to model a reading or writing skill. I know some campuses started handing out document cameras that teachers can use at home – ask your campus before spending your own money!

In terms of supplies, I always have printing paper, sticky notes, and markers nearby to help me create an anchor chart with my students through my document camera. I also have copies of texts and writing samples that I’m going to use for each lesson. I have a crate near my desk that has all the resources I need inside hanging file folders. I try to keep my crate as organized as possible!

WHAT ADVICE CAN I GIVE YOU WHEN IT COMES TO DISTANCE LEARNING?

Depending on what your schedule is like, make sure you stick to your set hours. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should be required to work longer hours. Set your schedule and stick to it, no matter what. Then, communicate it clearly with all your parents and students. What if a parent has a question after hours? What if a student has a question? Or what happens if your principal sends you an email? Those things can wait until the next day when you’re back on the clock – I promise!

Don’t assign homework! This will create more work for you in the long run. Are you required to assign homework at your campus? Then, assign something that’s not difficult to grade. This year has taught us (more than any other year) that we don’t always know what supplies and/or support our students have at home. I don’t like giving out homework on something that’s difficult and challenging because I don’t want my students to practice something incorrectly. I also never give homework on a topic I haven’t covered yet. Keep that in mind when the topic of homework comes up!

Always log in to your virtual meetings prepared and ready to teach! You can’t just wing it. Spend an appropriate amount of time planning, gathering your resources and finalizing student assignments. Does the lesson align to the objective? Does your modeling align to the assignment? Ask yourself those questions when planning.

Don’t forget to ask for help when you need it! Ask your team, a mentor, a coach, a friend, the IT department, etc. Think about who’s at stake when you decide to not ask for help.

YOU CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING!

Ouch! That hurt, but guess what? It’s true. We can’t control things through a computer screen. We also couldn’t control everything when we taught in person, either, remember? Sometimes our students can’t log on. That’s ok. Sometimes our lesson won’t feel like it was effective. That’s ok. Sometimes our wi-fi will stop working. That’s ok. We have to learn to let things go.

Despite what we see on social media, no one has it all figured out when it comes to distance learning. Remember that this year everyone is a first year teacher! All that matters is that you try your best to give your students an education that is engaging, caring, unbiased, and informative.

Don’t forget to also put yourself first. Your mental health is important. Your life outside of school is important. Don’t lose sight of who you are! I always say that my career doesn’t define me. I love what I do, but I love who I am outside the classroom even more. I hope you do, too.

Good luck this year!

Check out my podcast episode, Tips and Advice for Distance Learning, for more! Listen for free on the Podcasts App on iTunes or the Podbean App for Android users. Search “Biliteracy Now” to find my podcast and don’t forget to subscribe.