Forgive me if I ramble or am way off base with my article today. I’m learning just like you.
But I do have some thoughts.
This past week I received dozens of requests for this topic. Many from stressed-out and desperate-for-answers teachers, which I feel awful about.
Shame on the school districts and administrators that enabled this to happen.
Shame on them for rolling out programs and floating ideas that haven’t been tested. Shame on them for dumping hour upon hour of work on teachers to figure things out for themselves.
Shame on them for not providing answers, even if it’s just “We’re working on it and promise to get back to you when we have a clear program and curriculum ready to implement.”
I’m not suggesting that teachers do nothing during this challenging time or that we don’t provide learning opportunities for our students. But sheesh, leadership, to a person, has been atrocious.
There are teachers who have heard nothing whatsoever from their school district. There are some who have been told that they better do something (or else), but need to work it out on their own.
There are others who have been given very specific guidelines, but because none of it has been tried and tested, the results are a mess.
If you’re stressed out and frustrated, I hear you. It should never have been this way.
Furthermore, you can’t make students and families show up to online lessons.
You can threaten to fail them or drop them from school or the class. You can mark them tardy. You can promise future consequences. But that’s only if you can prove they have internet access or provide it for them.
Moreover, there are way more important things on the minds of many of our students and families.
Like health, food, and finances.
I guess what I’m saying is that we need more compassion, for everyone—for teachers, for students, for parents. We’re thrust into this confusing situation with nothing but uncertainty on the horizon.
So what can and should we do for our students until we’re back inside an actual school building? (Or at least until schools and districts provide real training, a clear, doable online curriculum, and dates to begin actual grading of students.)
We entice them with simple and rewarding learning activities that make sense to them.
We don’t overburden them. We don’t threaten them. We don’t spend hours trying to teach the exact same material as if nothing has changed.
I suggest a focus on project-based learning, with a once-a-day check in. Go ahead and provide online links to resources if students want to do more.
But center teaching and learning efforts on long-term projects students can do with the materials they have at home. Yes, this will take some creativity. Depending on your grade level or subject, maybe you have your students make 3d models.
Maybe you have them write a play or a musical. Maybe you have them conduct experiments, produce a video newscast, review books or movies, reenact moments in history, design buildings, create an invention or product, or start a blog or book club.
The possibilities are endless. But the idea is to use the time as an opportunity to do something different, memorable, and (“aghast!”) fun.
Yes, you may have parents complain that you’re not doing enough, that somehow you have to make sure their child has the same learning experience as when they’re back in the classroom, or that such and such teacher is doing six and a half hours a day of instruction and why aren’t you.
You can’t please everyone.
And if they don’t understand the pickle you’re in, or grasp this most unusual moment in history, or the confusion at the district and administrative levels, then so be it.
Be kind, give them grace, and move on.
One more thing: I love read aloud. I know many schools and districts discourage it despite its incredible benefits. But now’s the time to jump in with both feet.
Use the online video platform of your choice as an opportunity to read great books, regardless of what you teach or how old your students.
It’s great fun. Use voices, act out scenes, be goofy and dramatic. Let it go. Allow your students and their families—and maybe your own children—to escape for 30 minutes or so. Discuss after if you wish.
Use your daily connection with your students to ease their fears. To get back to basics.
To learn just for the sake of learning.
PS – I’m offering the first 25 people who email me a promo code to redeem a free audio copy of The Classroom Management Secret via Audible. (US only) We are all out of codes this week. 🙂
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.
I would like to have the free audio book. Thank you for saying what many of us are already thinking. Angela Miller
Hello Michael,
You forgot the most important piece in this article that should be the first step teachers do in this time of remote learning.
Making a connection with students should be first. Relationships are still the most valuable part of educating students. Educators should be calling students homes talking to parents and students, we can post videos host virtual meetings. A daily Vlog is a great way to stay in touch. Students need reassurance that their teachers care. We have to work harder on that now than we did before because we don’t have the face to face opportunities.
Calling parents is a great idea if you are using a school phone. When you use your own cell phone or home phone these parents and some devious students forget that calling a teacher back at 2:00 AM is downright stupid and extremely inconsiderate. And believe me I will not ever use my cell phone or home phone to call students or their parents again. So you say when you call just block your number well that sounds logical, however with all the telemarking that is burdening our homes on a daily basis, just as I don’t pick up my phone if and when I get a unknown phone call I don’t pickup the student and parent doesn’t pick up either. So don’t push teachers to call if they are not in or near a School based phone…………….
Samtheman, a suggestion that I have for this situation is maybe getting a google voice number. It’s free as long as you have a gmail account and it connects to your personal phone without giving out your personal number because you’ll have your own google voice number. You can set the settings how you want it without the hassle of parents and students having your personal number. Then, when you’re done with app for the year you can delete it to prevent phone calls over the summer and other season breaks and bring it back again once the breaks are over.
Try google hangouts, you use your computer to make the calls without using a cell phone at all.
How do you do that? Is there a tutorial for it?
@Samtheman
I set up a google voice account using my gmail. (Downloadable app) It gives you a semi local number and allows parents to call or text without using your personal number. You can even set it to do not disturb when you are not in your “office hours”. I had to call and text tons of parents this past week. Another bonus is when they leave a voice mail, it will turn it into an email for records. I, too, had issues calling from my personal number for privacy reasons. Hope that helps and good luck!
Dial *67 before the area code and phone number of your students. They will not be able to see your phone number. If they do not answer because they don’t know the number, just provide them with a time you will call the next day on the voicemail and they can answer it the next day if they would like to talk.
Unfortunately I trusted *67 to block my number. I don’t know why, but it didn’t work. I had parents and students calling me within minutes of making the first phone call from my home number. No, not all parents are considerate of a teacher’s privacy and home life.
There are ways to call families without them knowing your phone number. One app to use is Remind. But I know there are other ways to hide your number.
I added a Google Voice number to stay connected and call parents. It’s free and you can use your cell phone app to call out from your Google Voice number. https://voice.google.com/about
Hiya fellow classroom teachers. I’ve NEVER commented on this blog however I had to add a useful tool my colleagues are using. Google voice allows you to call or receive calls with a phone number that you can disable when you’re not available for parents or students. I’m an old school, veteran teacher (25 years) of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and now 7th graders so I’m wading through this Too. Good luck!
There is an App available where the number shows up on their end as your school number.
If you use *67 your number will not show!
When calling from a personal phone, first dial*67 and then the number. That will block your number to whoever you call.
100% agree
This is what’s happening to me
Thank you for bringing this issue on surface.
We are given directives to call students and/or parents twice a week usong our own phones…
I created a google voice number for my school phone since I’m working from home. Only parents and students have that number. It allows me to have voicemails sent to my gmail account and I can turn on Do Not Disturb at the end of the day
Excellent point! I’m doing online help sessions and parent conferences via Google Meet.
It is so important, I finally start calling the 5th graders yesterday, after watching for weeks to get a list of students who were not logging in remotes learning. Parents and students are so stressed out with a lack of how to connect and navigate on the different platforms offered to them. Also, the internet access is a big problem as well.
Juana Nunez from Linda Lentin K8 Center, Miami Dade Florida. School Counselor, thanks for so important articles.
Thank you, this relaxed me a bit!
I agree with all of this. Except I would add my school leaders have been great. We are a project-based school anyway, and they trust us and support us to create learning experiences in the way that works best for us, our students, and students’ families. “Learning for the sake of learning” — yes, exactly, and for the sake of pleasure and the feeling of having something purposeful to do, not for a grade but because you want to finish the project and share the results with your family and friends. That’s enough!
My school leaders are also being top-notch. No shame on them in Arlington ISD:)
Hi Michael,
What’s the promo code for the “Free copy of The classroom Management Secret”?
I love the idea of read alouds! How creative and timely! It is absolutely one of my favorite things to do and I love it when students want to read aloud with me. Thank you for the idea!
Me too! I have math books I can video myself reading aloud and showing them the pictures! This sounds like fun and they will be learning at the same time!
Thank you for this post! You are so spot on with the directives/lack of directives/changing directives coming down almost daily. I’ve seen letters from our superintendent to families that contradict letters to teachers from Teaching & Learning. It’s frustrating. And, I teach in a title school where families need even more supports; getting access or getting students on line (especially in families with multiple students) may be the 5th thing they’re worried about.
I appreciate your insights.
please show grace and kindness – to administrators and students. everyone is struggling to do their best.
no one has answers or can solve the problems of immediate country-wide home schooling!
I read an interesting article that said what families and teachers are doing now should not be referred to as “home schooling” because home-schooled children have opportunities to learn both inside and OUTSIDE of the home based classroom. Due to social distancing, the opportunities to learn OUTSIDE, an integral component of the home schooling environment, is now gone. The article referred to home schooling as “crisis schooling”. I think the latter sums the situation up perfectly. We are #crisisschooling
I live in Milan, Italy. I teach English at middle school! Se have been at home since the end of February. I started distance learning with my students making them feel that I am there for them!
I’m trying to follow your advice, but there some of my colleagues that are criticising me for my work; they define it ” not adequate “.
But thank you, now I’m a little bit serene! Next week I will continue the books we were reading at school before the quarantine! Have a nice weekend!
Marta
Marta, it sounds like you’re doing a great job. Stay well!
This is what I needed to hear. 100 pounds of stress just lifted off my shoulders. I work in a fantastic district but (understandably) there have been missteps all through this. State leadership has done so many 180s that I have whiplash (No new learning! New learning AND assessments/differentiation/grading!). I’ve been able to Zoom with a portion of my students 3 different times. Internet was patchy. No POSSIBLE way to teach. But we sang songs to each other; performed on our musical instruments (ukuleles, pianos, guitars, harmonica!); we played games; we talked about new hobbies we’re trying; most importantly, we all shared something we are doing to handle this stress. My students are 3rd graders; here were their ideas: Belly breathing, napping, reading, snuggling with mom, playing with my dog, painting a picture. Not ONE of them said, waiting for Mrs. Doucette to send robust, new learning opportunities for me to sink my teeth into. Our kids are worried. They miss each other. Thank you for confirming my personal conviction – kids need comfort, some sort of release, and connection. Yes, we’ll eventually star talking about fractions and the importance of punctuation, but for now their homework is to build a fort and send pictures of themselves reading in it. I can’t wait to get started on mine.
If I have not learned anything from reading this weekly newsletter for the last two years. Shame on me.
Being flexible , understanding, and a compassionate example have been key elements of smart classroom management take this with you into the online world. Ask your students some pertinent questions to begin with so that they are participating in the decision making of their education. What do they have available to learn with? Are they working from a phone screen or computer? Do they have internet at home? After that start working on the lesson plans. Show up at their doorstep six feet away and tell them you are still there for them and that their education is their lives not just for today but a lifetime, but just be learning one day at a time.
Teach with honesty, hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, acceptance, forgiveness, self-discipline, mindfulness, and compassionate service to others. Let your students see this from you they will have a guiding force of doing the correct thing for themselves and carrying it forward to others in their lives.
Show up at their doorstep? That would be creepy, intrusive and not a good example in a time when we are all to stay home.
Call first let them know you care often times hard to see in words for a student making the effort shod you care.
Show you care. I have to make it out in the world to grocery shop. Maybe a quick drive by is all they need. You are one of three primary adults in their life if you are grade school. More if you are middle or high but it doesn’t matter where you are in the list the greater your show of commitment to their education the greater their commitment will become.
Thank you for this. It’s what is probably on every teacher’s mind. No offense is intended to administrators, none of us saw this coming. I applaud your spotlight on the positive. Use this time to try new ideas, and be creative. Have fun with your students! Maybe we’ll find ways to change the system for the better once we come through all of this.
We as teachers, administrators, parents and students are living through something we have never had to deal with before. Those times are always messy as everyone figures out how to function and how to function together. I have seen amazing effort in my school and my community and believe that same desire to pull together is happening throughout the world, even if the results are not yet apparent.
I just want to add that my administration has been great. Understanding and compassion need to remain top priority. We’re all flying by the seat of our pants, so buckle up and enjoy the ride. 😊
I always appreciate your articles and ideas! This is a great perspective. If we end up teaching remotely longer than we expected (likely) I am going to consider your words very carefully, and change the way I’ve been doing things these last 3 weeks.
I do need to say though that “shaming” people is not nice. I think everyone is doing their best with an unprecedented situation.
Thanks for reminding us to be compassionate. Some people were really caught off guard, busy with emergencies and then all at once told the school was closing down. Some parents have a new baby or one about to arrive. Each situation is unique. One Superintendent in my state commented that Elementary Students need to spend one and a half hours per school day on school work. Being a Reading Specialist I would also hope that some reading for enjoyment will also happen. Many districts are sending out learning packets as they distribute lunches at grab and go sites around their towns.
Many parents are frustrated with worksheets that their children are not able to complete alone. I suggest using the age of the child to guide the struggling student to do 8 problems, for example, for an 8 year old. Or, if that is just too hard do half their age. Circle the ones you are going to answer and start in with the one that you think is easiest. Later the parent can comment on how their child knows about adding doubles or subtracting one from a number or whatever skill is shown to be strong. Keep it positive. If the student comments that the work is way too easy ask them to write 8 difficult problems on the back of the worksheet and later see if the parents can do those problems. Tweek what you see is not moving ahead with learning. If your child is nine, for instance, and you ask them to circle their age in problems and do just those and it still is frustrating ask them to do half their age. See if they can round up and/or round down. Make this time as enjoyable as you can for your family by modifying the work being sent home electronically or otherwise for your children.
And if there are administrators that read this or you the teachers bring it up to the administration, put your substitute teachers on full-time and divide the teaching load out, bring your community together.
Thank you so much for addressing this topic! I am one of those teachers with anxiety about EVERYTHING right now. I second everything that everyone has already said.
My district has been great. They coordinated with our union to make sure teacher’s voices were represented. We have “training” the week after Spring Break where we will learn the online platform, collaborate with colleagues. They have been really good about giving us time to figure it out. Luckily, my principal is extremely understanding & helpful.
Michael,
I enjoyed reading your thoughts and perspective. Life and teaching as we know it are changed forever. Hopefully for the better. Time will tell! thankyou for what you do.
I’ve been doing online classes (HS) on Zoom for a couple weeks & IMO my classes have been better than in person. 🙂 The first day I walked thru the new rules for online class, 1st was to take care of themselves, 2nd principal is invited to all our online classes so she may show up anytime, 3 – here’s what’s the same (as much as possible), 4 – here’s what different, 5 – critical to create a quiet classroom for yourself at home. Then we used the rest of class teaching them how to use functions in Zoom such as Raising Hand, Mute/unmute, chat, breakout rooms, and sharing screens. Some other teachers have been hesitant to use breakout rooms or sharing screens but I am finding those two functions to be incredibly valuable.
It’s a stressful transition but I’m telling you, online learning can be functional. The tools are there.
Hi Michael,
Thank you for this and all your great articles. I take something away from each one. I had a student teacher this semester whose been pulled from her placement half way through due to the world wide pandemic. When she came into my classroom I gave her your website info and shared some articles with her. I told her at the end of her student teaching to let me know which book she would like to have of yours to take with her to her own first classroom. I’m looking forward to hearing from her soon so I can get it for her. I am also hoping we can still get back to the classroom this school year so my students can come together and be a school family again and say goodbye and good luck to our student teacher as she joins a school district of her own. Thank you for all your common sense advice and understanding the needs of educators. I look forward to every email. I love to try and reach my students in what ever way it helps them and their families the most.
Thank you,
Mary R
Thank you Michael. This was a wonderful post of support for all of us teachers out here navigating this new terrain of virtual teaching and learning. I teach PreK to 8th grade art in a Catholic school abd our principal and vice principal have shown outstanding leadership and support since we moved to virtual learning 2 weeks ago. As the art teacher who only sees my close to 500 students once a week I have tried to create simple but fun at home lessons that serve as a nice diversion to everything else going on right now. I have been a bit frustrated that so many of my oldest students are ignoring my assignments so your words of support are very helpful to me right now. Those students who have been completing their art assignments have been commenting they are enjoying them and that is what really matters to me at this moment. Thank you again for your words of wisdom.
This is a fantastic article and I feel terrible for any teacher that is in that predicament. Thankfully my district (located north of Dallas) has gone with the approach that you are suggesting. They are communicating effectively, putting compassion and understanding first, and testing out online solutions before implementing. The expectations the last two weeks have been nothing but reaching out to families and making sure they are ok and checking to see if they have a device or internet (our district will provide if not), and then training teachers how to use Webex to communicate with parents and students. We have not been required to teach or check that students are working right now. That is the definition of grace in my opinion. I love my district and our leadership! I am praying for everyone that is not so fortunate and hopefully they come across your article. 💛
I always get so much out of your articles. Thanks for the empathy and reminder to simplify (for us and our students).
Please extend some grace and compassion for admin also. No one wants this to be anymore difficult than it already is. We are all on the same side. Let’s have the grace for everyone that we wish to receive for ourselves.
Thanks for the advice, but I want to say that when you work with a group of dedicated people life is easier.
Administrators and teachers at my school were very helpful and supportive. At the beginning of the week we really didn’t know what to expect. We were on trials and error but we kept on reaching out to each other and I can say that by Friday we had a clearer vision of what to do.
The administrators created different classrooms where teachers and staff posted videos on how to, their struggles and cries for help, their comments and most importantly their encouragements.
We are not there yet, but we know that we are in this together. Being there for each other it’s what that counts.
I’m certified in e-learning Instructional Design and Development. I’m certified teacher in Oregon with years of experience. I’m available to help teachers convert their coursework to an online platform. Please have people contact me if they need help with the conversion.
Hilary Johnson
johnshil@oregonstate.edu
Program Assistant
Oregon State University-Extension
Bandon OR
tourism.oregonstate.edu
gorpguide.org
Thank you for putting reality into context:)
Thanks so much! It has been a tumultuous time that has eroded our confidence in our systems and ourselves, and your post has (for the time being) made me realize that I got this. Maybe we should have planned better, maybe we needed to reach out to our communities and ensure every family has access to the internet or a phone, and maybe that’s something we can discuss for next year. My “not-so-perfect” teaching style will work for the kids I can reach (we live in a remote community in Northern Canada) and the ones I can’t reach know where I am, and that’s okay for now. I appreciate the realistic perspective and the feeling that I am so not alone. Hang in there! We got this.
It is important to show grace to all–including administrators and districts. As a band/music teacher married to an administrator you need to know they are working with less than full information themselves as governing bodies are still trying to give direction to schools. But, also with 4 children of my own at home I see how important it is that teachers continue to interact with their students. They look forward to that communication piece–even if they don’t do the actual assignment. Grace before grades. Keeping it simple. 🙂
Grace before grades…. That needs to be on a tshirt!!!!
The biggest takeaway for me is the idea that we cannot force or enforce online learning upon students and parents. The same students who need us to stand over them to encourage and support in order to learn still need that. Even with live online meetings and messages to students and parents, even phone calls, the best we can do is be available and understanding. It’s not a school issue, it’s a global crisis. Let the biggest lesson for all of us be the one of kindness.
I enjoy your feedback and I do not agree with shaming school districts or the the leadership.
It really is unfortunate that they are not leading with clear or zero guidelines.
Therefore, as educators we can lead at our grade levels or departments with confidence by taking small steps towards a positive engagement of learning.
Thanks,
Rachel
I am a proud parent and employee of our school district located in a suburb of Rochester NY. We educate about 4500 UPK-12 students. My high school student is learning as if in the classroom, in order to prepare for Regents and AP exams. Faculty was prepping for online learning weeks before the closure of school. All students 6-12 have had one to one devices for the past five years. Our elementary students are receiving instructions and materials in hard copy and online keeping in line with the classroom. Teachers and staff have maintained contact via social media and digital means. Our district didn’t miss a beat. If your district can’t say the same you’re in need of reorganization and serious upgrades as you are not educating in a 21st century manner.
I’m considering making You-Tube videos for some of my lessons. YouTube’s page makes it look fairly easy. Students would be able to view my lessons at their “leisure” as most of my students have siblings who are sharing the family’s devices.
Does anybody have suggestions for me as I pursue this? Are there any problems with this that I may not have thought of?
I want to say that my school leaders have been so supportive and thankful for what we, as teachers and staff are trying to do. I would encourage all of us to offer the same GRACE we desire, to those who also need it. I want to believe they are also wading through the unknown and trying their best, like we are.
The shaming words left me feeling bad. The other stuff is great. Thanks everyone. Best of luck to you in this new world.
Our family does not utilize computers or allow screen time. Obtained paper packets, since Ed Tech will never enter our home.
Hello Michael,
Many of our teachers are suffering with students’ disruptive behavior during online teaching. Do you have any suggestions for them? I would really appreciate if you could address this issue in your next article. Many teachers will thank you for that 🙂
Kamala