Like many, our Rocketship teachers greatly miss connecting with students in person. But as the coronavirus pandemic continues, so do our tireless efforts to offer engaging, high-quality education virtually.<\/p>\n
Ask any educator you know, and you\u2019ll likely hear teaching virtually is no easy feat. Thankfully, our school leaders and teachers pivoted quickly, and collaboratively came up with fresh ideas to make distance learning a dynamic experience. Here, teachers hold students accountable while boosting engagement, facilitating growth, and offering 1:1 check-ins.<\/p>\n
However, many teachers, especially those new to the role, are seeking tips during this time. So to support the wider education community, we compiled these eight ways educators can help students thrive while learning from home.<\/p>\n
1. Kick-off your meeting early with a friendly competition.<\/strong> 2. Set clear and consistent expectations.<\/strong>
\nLet students know that if they log in to your video meetings 10 minutes before the start time, there will be some friendly competition. Use Quizlet or Kahoot to get their brains warmed up and ready to go. When you start on a high note, your lesson will begin on time and with high attendance.<\/p>\n
\nInvest students in virtual meeting \u201cnorms\u201d by co-creating the agreements together. For starters, it\u2019s helpful to be clear on what you want to see and hear students doing during your meetings. They should be in a well-lit room, out of bed, and dressed for success with their videos on, faces in the frame, and ready to engage. Once you establish those basics, ask them to generate ideas about what our actions and behaviors should be. Dig deeper by pushing them to think about why those actions are important. Start each lesson with the agreed-upon norms typically (3-5) and hold students accountable for upholding them. You might be delightfully surprised when they start to hold each other accountable too.<\/p>\n