The new learning environment has been both a blessing and a curse. Many teachers have experienced their fair share of struggles over the last few years, and one thing at the root of it all is virtual learning. If you find yourself struggling to adapt to a digital classroom, these helpful suggestions and kind reminders could help.
Think About Student Accessibility
It can be challenging to remember that not every student has the same home life and that their living situation may limit their access to a virtual setting. Where half of your class might have a high-speed in-home internet connection, the other half might not have a stable connection or access at all.
This issue can create a lot of struggles for a teacher as they seek maximum participation in virtual classes and reflect on the academic success of some students. Remember, when students are home, many things are out of your control compared to when they’re in the classroom.
Use Similar Tech for In-Person Lessons
There will be days when you’ll have a full classroom again, and it’s essential to use the same or similar tech for in-person lessons as you would a virtual learning day. When you use the same technology, you can keep things consistent regarding file sharing and efficiency online. You can also use this opportunity to help students struggling to adjust by showing them demos on your devices.
While it may seem tempting to ditch the technology when you can, these tools can greatly benefit your lessons. The file sharing and efficiency alone can help you streamline your presentations when turning to the classroom’s AV setup. AV in education is not new, but it improves how teachers and students share, access, and receive data and information.
Ease Up on Perfectionism, Embrace Flow
When you’re transitioning to a new way of teaching, it can be hard to remember certain things, including how hard this arrangement is for everyone involved. Everyone is affected, parents included, and creating a perfect lesson or being the teacher you always dreamed of may need to take a back seat while everyone embraces these changes. Consider just going with the flow to divert perfectionism and welcome the new needs of everyone.
Ignite and Welcome All Forms of Communication
Welcoming all forms of communication will make an incredible difference as you work to go with the flow and lean less on perfectionism. Your students are at home more than ever before, and how they interact with this environment and their education is different now. Today’s students will reach out to you in whatever form is easiest or accessible for them.
Gone are the days of being unable to text or call your teacher on their personal device. For some students, these channels might be their only means of communication, and you may need to welcome that into your life (with boundaries). Communication apps and school-only devices can also help mitigate some of the stress of all-form communication efforts.
No matter how long you’ve been engaging with virtual learning, the struggles you face as a teacher seem never-ending. Hopefully, these tips and reminders bring you to what’s most important: education.
