I cannot believe it is already August. This summer has just flown by. You know, even though I have been an online teacher for over ten years now, the 2019-2020 school year just seemed to drain my energy reserves like no other. I can only imagine how drained other teachers are feeling. Especially those who didn’t sign up to be online teachers. But the time has come where, once again, teachers are focusing on back-to-school plans and trying to figure out what the 2020-2021 year will look like. Many districts have decided to start the year online and so today I want to share a few tips on how I start a virtual school year.
set your virtual class up for success
Just like in a brick-and-mortar school setting, you will want to organize and setup your online space for virtual school. Now, this summer there has been a lot of talk in various teacher circles about Bitmoji classrooms. If you are unfamiliar with this latest craze, basically it entails designing a classroom scene with the teacher’s Bitmoji. Throughout the scene various objects are hyperlinked to materials for class. It acts as a central hub for students.
I haven’t quite jumped on the Bitmoji classroom craze yet. However, I do really like the idea of having a central hub that students and parents can access. In previous years I have been happy to use Google Classroom. At the end of last school year, I began to see the need for something additional. In my case, I plan to setup a website (Google Site).
Now I do want to make one disclaimer. . . And this is really important. 🙂 To be clear, setting up your online space for virtual school can be as simple as coming up with a system of organization for your Google Classroom. It does not need to be a complicated affair. I have seen so many teachers stressing themselves out this summer because they are trying to learn new technology in order to make a Bitmoji classroom. Please understand, that simply having a location to house materials and assignments for students in an organized manner is enough.
To help you get started with setting up your Google Classroom, I have a series of videos that leads you through the process.
be clear & concise
I always encourage teachers to be as specific as possible. Detailed descriptions surrounding expectations, materials to use, various methods of displaying learning, and how students will be graded are a must.
I also encourage teachers to use visual cues in written descriptions. For example, you can include emojis, varied font sizes, numbered lists, and bold/underlined text. I do caution against using “fancy” fonts and/or multiple fonts. We don’t want to cause visual fatigue or forget the needs of our dyslexic students. However, tasteful use of visual cues can help students as they navigate through instructions.
Additionally, I recommend not only providing a written description of instructions but also providing an audio version or video version of those instructions. There is something to be said for providing multimodal instructions. I discuss more about the characteristics of an amazing online teacher in my blog post HERE.
start slow
Starting the school year slowly is probably one of the best things to do when beginning a new virtual school year. To be honest, I focus a lot on getting to know my students, making sure they are comfortable and understand how virtual school works, connecting with families, and training students on the technologies for the year. It has been my experience that students find much more success when given a good foundation to start on.
The first few weeks of virtual school start before school is actually in session. I have a series of emails that I send to parents introducing them to me and outlining what they can expect in the first few weeks of school. I also provide them with a link to reserve an appointment time with me for their family during the first week. Once school is in session, I scaffold the student’s introduction to virtual school in the following way:
Week 1
*No structured classes this week. Family appointments only.
I meet one-on-one with families to discuss expectations, answer questions, and meet students. I have students share with me how they prefer to learn and we discuss their goals for the year. As part of the email sequence to parents, I include a document for students that leads them through the process of creating SMART goals.
They get access to one Google Classroom (Junior High Homeroom) where I post online class links, schedules, community development activities, and a Google Classroom scavenger hunt.
Week 2
*Online class sessions for training
During this week, I run a different schedule than students’ regular classes. Each grade meets with me online for an hour Monday – Thursday.
During this time we do activities that help students to feel comfortable online. This would include ice-breaker activities, games, and community building tasks.
I also take time to train students in processes and technologies they will need to be successful through the year.
Week 3
*Regular class schedule begins and students get access to all subject-area Google Classrooms.
From this point forward, students will follow their regular online class schedule and begin working on curriculum outcomes.
I post one quarter of learning material (print and video), checkpoints, and projects at a time so students and families have a good grasp on what they will be expected to do and students are able to work at their own pace.
I post “due dates” for each item in Google Classroom, but I rephrase the terminology we use. They are guideline dates to help students stay on track (I don’t penalize students for “late” work because my focus is mastery of concepts).
rethink how school is done
In the past, when I’ve shared my scaffolded approach to a new school year, I have been questioned about not starting in on the curriculum until week 3. There is a certain percentage of teachers that fall into a more traditional mindset when it comes to assignments, grades, and the teacher’s role in the classroom. The truth is, having the opportunity to teach online has provided me with the ability to rethink how school is done. Yes, curriculum matters. But relationships matter more. . . especially in a virtual school setting.
If you are starting the school year online, I would challenge you to take a critical look at how things are being done. Ask yourself questions like: Is it necessary to grade every assignment I’m giving? What am I trying to accomplish with this assignment? Is this busy work? How can my students demonstrating their learning in an authentic way? How can I best personalize the experience for my students so they can find success?
When I started to ask myself those questions, it changed who I was as a teacher. My classes look drastically different now compared to when I first began teaching online ten years ago. I talk a little bit about my journey and what my classes now look like in my blog post HERE. I am constantly learning and adjusting to make sure I am providing the best school experience for my students.
Develop Community
Finally, it is imperative that you are intentional about building community right from the very beginning of school. I will admit, it is a more difficult task online than in a brick-and-mortar setting. However, if you are intentional about it, it’s easier than you think.
communicate regularly
I start this process a week before school begins. I make sure to introduce who I am and a little bit about me along with what families can expect moving forward. When school starts, I also try to be intentional about writing students and sharing with them positive things I am seeing. For example, if I have a shy student and they use their microphone during class, I will send them an email acknowledging what they did. I focus on things like leadership skills, kindness, positive participation in class, etc.
show your human side
I share a little bit about myself with my students at the beginning of the year. I share a few of my likes/dislikes and some stories about adventures I’ve had. Students really connect with those types of things. It allows them to feel more comfortable sharing their own stories.
One year, I shared my dislike for seaweed with a grade 8 class. We ended up having a big discussion about how some in the class were just like me and wouldn’t eat seaweed and others that just loved it. Well, a few months into school, this particular class was having a difficult time staying focused and I had to take some time to talk with them about the choices they were making.
This class was so confident that they could model exemplary behaviour that they issued a challenge. If they were able to go a whole week without needing to be reminded to stay on task, then I would have to eat seaweed. Needless to say, their motivation was great and they won the challenge. I ate seaweed for the class. Now, at the beginning of each year, my previous students share the video with the incoming class. 🙂
relax the rules
I think one of the things that can have a tendency to distract attempts to build community is too many rules and regulations. Yes, it’s important not to have chaos. So encouraging students to raise their digital hand before speaking instead of blurting out what’s on their mind randomly can be good. But also, students are logging into class from their own homes and it won’t necessarily be a controlled environment. So don’t stress over a younger sibling or pet that ends up joining class.
Of course, these suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more ways that we can help to develop community within our virtual classes. In fact, I have an upcoming blog post that dives deeper into those strategies that will be posted towards the beginning of September.
For now, I hope that this has helped to give you a few ideas on how to successfully start your virtual school year online.
