If you’re allowed to require students to turn on their Zoom camera, then I highly recommend the point system I wrote about a few weeks ago. It will dramatically improve every area of online teaching and learning. But what if you’re not allowed to? … Read more
A rapport-building strategy I wrote about several years ago for in-class learning also happens to be effective online. And that’s saying something. Building rapport online is tough sledding—especially when so many schools and districts forbid teachers from requiring students to turn on their Zoom … Read more
There is evil lurking. It’s an evil that is ever-present in the online teaching world. Disguised as good, it whispers sweet buttery lies to teachers that drag them down into a black hole of stress and overwork. So difficult to resist is this cruel … Read more
There exists a strategy you’re probably not using that will better capture and hold your students’ attention during Zoom lessons. It’s incredibly simple. But it initiates a series of positive changes to your lesson delivery that can have a profound impact on your students … Read more
According to the American Heart Association, children ages 8-18 spend an average of more than 7 hours a day on their phones, playing video games, or watching TV. It’s a staggering statistic. But here’s the kicker: That was before the pandemic. Now, because so … Read more
Because of Covid-19 and the staggering amount of preparation time required to start the new school year—whether online or in person—teachers are under enormous stress. There is so much to do, and not enough hours in the day to do it. There is, however, … Read more
I never thought I’d be writing on this topic. Yet here we are. Oddly, it’s a controversial one. Evidently some teachers have received significant pushback for not allowing pajamas during Zoom lessons. “You can’t dictate what students wear in their own home.” “If they … Read more
First off, whether and when schools open and under what conditions is a decision school districts will make. I’m not advocating one way or another. Here at SCM, we deal with what is in front of us. We accept what we cannot change and … Read more