Making the Most Out of Virtual Teaching
Educators share advice for staying connected with students while teaching remotely
The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has forced an immediate and sweeping change to our educational system. Children of all ages are now learning remotely, using technology when possible to connect with their teachers. We talked with Leslie Calabrese, Tim Hart and Andrea Poppiti at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers-New Brunswick for some advice on how educators can adjust and make this new model of learning work.
What are some things that educators can do to make the transition easier for students?
Hart: One of the most challenging aspects of this situation as a teacher has been that since the stay-at-home orders happened so fast we weren’t able to say goodbye to most of our kids. I use email to regularly share and communicate with parents about what is happening in my classroom with a weekly newsletter. I have been sending updates to parents and I have started sending updates to kids too through their school email. I have also been using email to answer student questions and touch base with my students. I’m hoping we find ways to use Zoom or Google Hangouts so we can have regular face-to-face communication with our kids. I think it helps with the transition to still have this connection.
Poppiti: The transition has been bumpy for everyone, and I cannot commend teachers enough for their flexibility and nimbleness after being given very minimal notice that this situation would arise. We have virtual office hours that provide opportunities for students to get individual help as they work on their tasks for the day/week. My two biggest concerns going into this remote learning experience were that students would be confused about their responsibilities and this new way of learning and that they would miss the human interaction that in-person classroom communities promote. I have tried to keep these two concerns at the forefront of my mind when making my virtual lesson plans.
Almost everybody has a story about a teacher who has really made a difference in their lives. Is there a way to continue to make those meaningful connections when all learning takes place on a computer?
Calabrese: Most students love their teachers; they become a part of their day even if the subject is not their favorite. Create a special Instagram or Tik Tok for your students and share a piece of you every day with them. Read a poem. Sing a song. Tell a funny story about your time in social isolation. For better or worse, you are a constant in students' lives and they’ve come to expect their time with you.
If you’re not that internet savvy you can send an email to your students every day and NOT talk about assignments. Share a story, a smile, an emoji, or a gif to keep the lines of communication open. You can become memorable by becoming the teacher that did more, who went above and beyond. Give them a daily reminder that you care and are still part of their lives.
What advice do you have for students to stay motivated in their education in such a challenging time?
Hart: We all have expectations placed on us with our studies. It is important not to forget that. Kids should develop a regular routine for themselves just like the schedule they would have in school. They should find something that works for them. They should work with their parents and their teachers to figure it out and make adjustments as they need to. This kind of self-discipline is hard, but the more you practice with it the easier it becomes.
The remote learning environment may present unique challenges for students with disabilities. How can we ensure these students receive the educational services they may require?
Calabrese: Being away from school might be very difficult for students with disabilities; there is a lack of schedule, a lack of attention, a lack of consistency, and a lack of social interaction that so many of our students thrive on, be mindful of all this. Help students create a schedule of HOW to tackle the assignments, send them encouraging messages throughout the day to remind them to stay on task. Give them choices of what assignments to complete and when as it will help them feel more in control of their environment, and help them create a schedule of when they can complete each piece of the assignment.
How can students fulfill requirements for art and music classes if they don't have access to special supplies and/or instruments?
Calabrese: Certain websites such as the Louvre, Sistine Chapel, Guggenheim Museum,
Yosemite National Park, Van Gogh Museum, Great Wall of China, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Yellowstone National Park, MOMA-Museum of Modern Art and the British Museum are offering virtual tours. Teachers can assign a project that involves students taking the tour, answering questions about the tour and researching music from a timeframe about something they learned on the tour. Teachers have to be creative. Students can learn about art and research music without having access to instruments and supplies.
Meet the educators:
Leslie Calabrese is GSE’s instructor of professional practice/Ed. Psych./Spec. Ed. and a partnership leader for Neptune and Highland Park school districts. She is also presently pursuing her Ed.D. in special education at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education.
Andrea Poppiti has been an 8th grade science teacher for five years and is currently enrolled in the Ed.D. program at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education.
Tim Hart is a fifth grade teacher who has worked as an elementary school teacher and school leader for the past 16 years after earning a B.A. from Fordham University and master degrees from Fordham and Rutgers; he is currently working toward his Ed.D. in teacher leadership at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education.
