Daily Schedules

One of the most difficult things about transitioning to an online environment is keeping a schedule. It is so easy to get distracted by things going on at home, or just wanting to sit in front of the TV to work. I highly recommend setting a schedule for yourself and encouraging your students to set one too.

For teachers:

I have heard that many districts require students to log in for attendance by a certain time each day, so you can use that a the beginning of your day if you'd like, but here's a rough outline of what your day may look like -

8:30 am - Sit down at your computer prepared to work. That includes having changed out of your PJs and into something that's comfortable but presentable on a video call. Check emails/communication, meet with colleagues, etc.

9 am - 11:30 am - Run lectures, break out sessions, tutoring sessions, assign independent work, etc. (don't forget to take breaks!!)

11:30 am - 12:15 pm - Walk away from your computer, read a book, or take a walk outside.

12:15 pm - 2:30 pm - Plan for the next day, upload docs/presentations/notes etc. for students.

2:30 pm - Log out!

This is not a typical schedule for online teachers, but it is something you can follow for the time being. You cannot be too hard on yourself during these times, remember to spend time with family and enjoy some time outside when it's nice out!

For students: 

Again this is just a suggestion, it can be adjusted based on the attendance requirements and how the teacher's schedule looks for the day.

8:45 am - Log in for attendance. Prepare any writing or note-taking materials you may need.

9 am - 11:30 am - Follow the instructions for the day, attend teacher lectures, participate in activities as assigned, take notes. Don't forget to take breaks - message your teacher when you walk away from your computer.

11:30 am - 12:15 pm - Eat a healthy lunch, go outside and play or stretch your legs by taking a walk.

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm - Complete any necessary work as assigned or to catch up on missing assignments.

1:30 - 2:30 pm - Read (This is a long time so be sure to take breaks when needed!)

2:30 pm - Log out!

Teachers and paras in our school attend a morning "huddle" each day to talk about things going on, issues that need to be addressed, etc. Teachers spend most of their day in one-on-one meetings with students and sometimes in small group tutoring sessions. When they are not with a student there are phone calls, texts, IMs, and emails going out to students to check in. Teachers have the opportunity at the end of the day to do some of the necessary paperwork and planning and Fridays are set aside for staff meetings, PD, department meetings, planning, and grading.

Set up a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Give your day some sort of consistency and if you have your own kids at home this will help keep everyone on track!

Being on Camera!

Listening to yourself on a conference call or a recording is weird and intimidating. I have been an online teacher for nearly 10 years and I am just now getting to the point where I can sit down and record a quick video and be satisfied with it!!

You will want to record video for your students so they can look back on what you covered that day in class or to give them asynchronous directions for a project or activity for the day. My favorite recording platform is Screencast-o-matic, but Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and many others will also work.

Last year I posted tips on intervention to my Facebook page at least once a week. I would prep a short topic to talk about and then just force myself to turn on the camera and record. I'm not going to lie - I did record some of them a few times before I actually went "live" or uploaded my video - a little practice never hurt anyone!

Here's a short video I uploaded last year:

Before recording yourself, keep these tips in mind:

• Be prepared: Where are you going to navigate on your screen? Do you need a visual or presentation to guide your topic?
• Remember that you are human: mistakes will be made and it's okay to leave those in your recording, students don't want to see a robot teach them anyway!
• Be confident: you know what you're talking about so don't forget to present yourself that way.
• If it helps, post a picture of your class or a group of people above your computer so when you're recording you can look at it.

Also, check out this article called "How to be more confident on camera: My 5-step recipe revealed" for more ideas!!

Formative Assessment in an Online Setting

There are a few good tools out there I have used for formative assessment. Some students may not be working on the same thing at the same time, so using something that is asynchronous allows them to do it in their own time but gives you the data you need to keep planning.

Here are a few tools I recommend:

• Kahoot! - this has synchronous and asynchronous settings. Create your own set of questions or find in their list of many!  
  
• Quizizz - similar to Kahoot! this one also allows you to create your own set of questions or choose from other teacher-created ones, and can be done on their own or as a class.  
  
• Flipgrid - this is a great way for students to submit answers to question via video. They can blur themselves out or share their face, while also choosing fun video backgrounds and features.  
  

Differentiation Online

Recently I hosted a PD session for teachers at my school to talk about the very topic of differentiation online - it's a hot one for sure and, although I may not be able to share everything I taught them due to platform differences, I do want to share what I can.

Many of your are finding yourself using Zoom, which is a great platform and something I used until very recently when my school finally decided to partner with Microsoft, so now we use Teams. Here are a few ways you can use Zoom or other platforms to differentiate:

• Create various "rooms" for your students to go into. You already have them grouped by ability, designation, or other levels within your classroom, so this is no different. You give each group a task for the time period and they work together on it, you bounce from room to room providing support.
• For students in Special Education or English Language programs - send them notes before the lecture or topic for the day (you probably do this in your classroom anyway), then they can follow along. Create the notes as "fill-in-the-blank" to help them pay attention.
• Challenge your upper-level students to do some internet research on the day's topic(s) and have them come back at a certain time to present the info to you.
• If you are posting videos of yourself teaching also include links to websites or other resources on the topic - this provides various methods of delivery for the material.
• If you are using Google Classroom or another platform that students are logged into frequently, create a Q&A section and have students post questions and answer each other.
• Encourage students to respond to asynchronous discussions in a method of their choosing: video, audio, typing, or other presentation format.
• Utilize your knowledge of ELL support for students - always post your content and language objectives to be clear about the expectations for you session that day.

I used THIS article by Theresa Melenas, Ed.D. as a reference for some of these ideas.

These are things you do in a classroom everyday - now take those concepts and make them virtual!