Schools were abruptly thrown into pandemic mode with the stay at home order in March of 2020. The buildings may been closed and students may have been learning from home, but school didn't shut down and teaching didn't stop. What commenced wasn't exactly distance learning; it was crisis teaching. We threw together whatever we could and gave it our all. What we learned in the spring will act as our foundation for the coming school year. Studying existing research and combining it with effective teaching methods will better prepare us to teach under the new guidelines. The day-to-day aspects of school will certainly look different, but the learning will continue.
The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12 is divided into nine modules. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing the modules, along with other sources, to help us prepare for the upcoming year. We already learned we can handle anything, so we've got the upcoming year! 20-21, here we come!
From the publisher: "Effective teaching is effective teaching, no matter where it occurs. The pandemic teaching of mid-2020 was not really distance learning, but rather crisis teaching. But starting now, teachers have the opportunity to prepare for distance learning with purpose and intent—using what works best to accelerate students’ learning all the while maintaining an indelible focus on equity. Harnessing the insights and experience of renowned educators Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie, The Distance Learning Playbook applies the wisdom and evidence of VISIBLE LEARNING® research to understand what works best with distance learning. Spanning topics from teacher-student relationships, teacher credibility and clarity, instructional design, assessments, and grading, this comprehensive playbook details the research- and evidence-based strategies teachers can mobilize to deliver high- impact learning in an online, virtual, and distributed environment."
The Nine Modules
Module 1: Take care of yourself
We've heard it often enough: You need to take care of yourself or you won't be of any use to others. We've probably even reminded colleagues and friends to set aside time for themselves to recharge and relax. But how often do we actually take that advice? For most of us, the answer is probably not often enough. The pandemic has been traumatic for us, our families, our friends, and our students. Whether we have been impacted directly or indirectly, we've all been affected. It is important to acknowledge that trauma and the unique position we are in to help our students make sense of the world and emerge stronger. Social and emotional learning must be a hallmark of the upcoming year, for both our students and for us.
The Distance Learning Playbook suggests teachers establish a dedicated workspace, set ground rules, and share these guidelines with your housemates. In addition, it suggests establishing routines. These routines might include deciding how to start each day, maintaining regular hours, scheduling breaks, and planning how to end each day.
Throughout the spring, I set up at the kitchen table. We rarely use it, so it was a place where I could keep all of my supplies, work comfortably, and even walk away when I needed to. At first, I found myself working long days without a break, only stopping to grab a bite to eat between zoom sessions, while I continued to answer emails and create materials to support teachers and families. One of my colleagues sent out an invitation to join her for a virtual yoga class. She had arranged for a friend of hers to conduct the class through Zoom. I'm not really a fan of yoga (I'm a pilates girl), but I liked the idea of doing an activity with my colleagues. I enjoyed the class, and I enjoyed the break away from my "office" even more. While it didn't make me a yoga convert, it did make me realize that I needed to set some boundaries and stick to them. My partner continued to go to work as normal, so these boundaries were ones that I had to set for myself. I began stepping away from the table when I needed to, and often took short walks during lunch. I tried to finish up most of my work by the time my partner arrived home, and generally took the evening off before returning to my computer at night to write my morning update for the staff. There were times when I broke my own rules, but overall, setting them and sticking to them allowed me to have a more productive day and create a more balanced home life.
The Distance Learning Playbook doesn't just touch on your emotional health in your job. The module concludes with reminders to think about your social health as well. The authors suggest setting a goal of having meaningful connections with those outside of your own home each day and taking the time to socialize with colleagues. Establishing a support systems, connecting with others, and setting aside time for fun was important in the spring to maintain emotional health. It will continue to important this fall as we embark on a new school year that looks different from any we have experienced before.
MODULE 2: THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL- Now available!
For as long as I can remember, I have purchased a special outfit for the first day of school. This year I debated whether I should order one. What would be the point? Would anyone see it? And then I realized that I wasn't choosing a first day of school outfit for anyone to see. I was going to buy one for myself to feel normal. Too much has been lost in the past few months, so anytime I have the chance to feel normal, I should take it. I'll still shop for and buy a first day of school outfit, but I'll also be buying a matching mask! When I began reading module 2 of The Distance Learning Playbook, it opened with a vivid description of the feelings both students and teachers have the night before the first day of school. Imagine my amusement when the final sentence of the opening paragraph stated, "... and we pick out our new outfit to make a good first impression." Good to know it's not just me! The modulecontinues with a quote from Mary Poppins, "Well begun is half done." Whether you are starting the year in person, hybrid, or virtual, there will be a first day of school, and it will look different. So how do we prepare ourselves and prepare the students for a different kind of school year?
The authors suggest we draw on our own expertise and think about the goals we would have any year. My list included developing routines and expectations, establishing a system of classroom management, setting the tone for a positive and exciting year, getting to know the students and helping them get to know each other and their teacher. I always ended the first day, which was a shortened one, by asking the students to test me to see if I knew their names. We'd gather on the carpet and I'd go around the group saying something to each student by name. Most years I was able to recall each of their names without hesitation or mistakes. I'll never forget one year however, when I had two students with similar names who both had the same hair color and were about the same height. I was worried I would mix up their names, and sure enough I did. Arnav immediately pointed out my error and deadpanned, "Actually Ms. Parker, I do not know how you could make such a mistake. We clearly look nothing alike. Arjun is wearing an orange shirt and I am in blue." I responded, "Well as long as you come back tomorrow in those shirts I won't make that mistake again!" I never did mix them up again, because in that moment their personalities shone through and I learned what a comic Arnav was! The day ended in laughter and hopefully all of my students felt as positive about the upcoming year as I did.
Even though this year will look different, I'll still need to do all of the things I would do in a typical year. I need to prepare. Let's go through each item we'll need to think about and how it might look this year. Develop a Classroom Management Plan for Distance Learning Classroom management is not behavior. It encompasses the procedure, routines, and expectations that the class agrees to and follows. The authors suggest writing a philosophy of teaching and learning. This statement should be limited to a few sentences, but will set a clear focus for your classroom. In lower elementary, it could be as simple as, "In this class, we are kind to one another." Post the message for the students and families to see, and repeat it often. Establish Norms Ask yourself- What will learning look like? What will students be doing during a virtual lesson? How will the students participate and interact in class? Link Norms to Class Agreements Once norms are established, create a class agreement together. Create 3-5 positive statements that all students agree to observe. Once created, post the agreement and refer to it to teach and reinforce the expectations. Identify Expectations for Synchronous Distance Learning The expectations you share with your students will depend on what your district is expecting. Some districts are instituting a dress code- no PJs during lessons for example. Consider your population and what your students need when identifying expectations. Let students know what they need to do before class to prepare, during class when learning, and after class. The more students understand what is expected of them, the more likely they will be to respect those expectations. A word of caution though- Don't be rigid in your expectations. This past week, I was sick and had to attend a school meeting. I emailed the administrator before the meeting and told her I wanted the attend because I knew how important it was, but I needed to keep my camera off, as I was in bed in my PJs. Had she been so rigid in her expectations, I would have missed an important meeting. I was happy to have an understanding administrator. I should give my students that same understanding and not expect more of them than I would of myself. Develop and Teach Organizational and Procedural Routines Explicitly teaching procedures and routines may seem like a waste of academic time to some, but we all know that if we skip this step, it will cost academic time in the long run. Give students a heads up of the schedule. We like to know what's going to happen and students do too. Develop signals so students know when to mute, unmute, how to interact, how to ask a question... For younger kids, use image cues, but post these cues along with audio explaining them so students can practice. Think about how you will handle transitions and let the students know what they will look like. In elementary school, the teacher often uses a visual on the whiteboard to show what subject they are teaching and the learning targets. It shouldn't be any different online. Finally, dedicate time to practice using the LMS. Don't assume that students know how to use technology just because they play video games, facetime their friends, and used it in school last year. Set aside time in the beginning to explicitly teach the LMS and practice finding assignments, submitting them, and everything else that the LMS entails. Design a Considerate Website Class websites don't hold the same importance as they once did, as most districts rely on an LMS. Even if your district does not rely on websites for primary communication, you should still have a landing page that contains your contact information for parents, as well as the best way to contact you and when they can expect responses from emails. Don't make yourself available 24/7. If you start doing that, it will become an expectation and you'll find yourself stuck. Establish norms for yourself too, and stick with them. Designing Your Space This past spring I was working from my kitchen table. For the first half, the coat rack served as my backdrop. I didn't have a dedicated space to decorate and serve as a backdrop. After I got a flower delivery, I switched seats at the table and had flowers as my backdrop. That little change made the entire space seem cheerier, even though I was in the same room. If you are teaching from your classroom, the backdrop is natural. If you are at home however, you might be in the same boat I was. Creating a virtual background is a good alternative. That way the backdrop can change with the content or to match the day. The First Day You've prepared, and it's finally here, the first day of school. Now what? You have a plan and now it's time to roll it out. From the first class, make sure you begin by greeting each student. Just like you stood in the door greeting your students as they came into class, you'll want to acknowledge each student so they feel seen and heard. It's easy to get lost in the virtual world, so knowing that you are seen as an individual matters. Consider creating a few no touch greetings- maybe take student suggestions as one of your first day activities and create a chart of options. When a student joins the class, they can greet you and their classmates, and you can greet them the same way. One tip though, make sure you learn how to pronounce each student's name, so when you greet them, you're doing it respectfully. I taught for many years in a diverse district with students from all over the world. As I would prepare for the year, I wasn't always sure of how to say each student's name. To ensure that I did learn, I asked my students to say their names for me. I would say it back to them and sometimes it would take me a few tries to get it right. Your name is part of your identity, so getting it right is more important that some may realize.
I've said it before and I'll say it again- good teaching is good teaching regardless of where it takes place. All of the points to consider as you prepare for the year are ones you think about every year. So just remember, you've got this. We're teachers and we're used to juggling changes, making decisions, analyzing data, multitasking... The list of what we do in a day could go on and on. This is a school year like any other, just different. But every school year is a little different, right? This year will just be extra different.
MODULE 3: teacher-student relationships in virtual classrooms (coming soon)
MODULE 4: teacher credibility at a distance (COMING SOON)
MODULE 5: Teacher clarity at a distance (coming soon)
MODULE 6: engaging tasks (COMING SOON)
MODULE 7: planning instructional units for distance learning (COMING SOON)
MODULE 8: feedback, assessment, and grading (COMING SOON)
MODULE 9: learning, distance or otherwise (COMING SOON)