What We’ve Learned from COVID-19: Remote Learning Tips for Teachers

It’s one thing to take continuing education credits online, but as COVID-19 has progressed and teachers across the country have been forced to adapt their curriculums to fit into a predominantly remote landscape, it’s evident that trying to teach remotely is a lot harder than it looks.

However, one good thing that has come of the situation is that we, as a society, have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to remote learning. In some ways, remote learning has offered new opportunities to reconnect with the profession and find more creative means of reaching instructional goals.

Below are a few tips for making remote teaching as productive as possible.

Bring Assignments into the Real World

Looking at a computer screen all day can be challenging for an adult, making it a virtual impossibility for most students. Given the current situation, however, it may seem unavoidable.

Despite the reliance on video conferencing tools, asynchronous learning methods, and more, it’s still important to try to develop ways to get students learning without using a screen. Using worksheets and creating alternative submission methods for assignments, you can engage your students in a way that doesn’t require them to passively consume content online.

Don’t Do Wholesale Revision

Remote learning is undoubtedly different from being in a physical classroom, and that means that you’ll need to use tools that can help keep students’ interest in learning goals. However, there are so many tools available for that purpose that it can be overwhelming to decide which should be used and which should be disregarded.

If you get overwhelmed by the choices available to you as the teacher, remember that the effect could be a lot worse for students if you try to make massive revisions to the way things are done. You should use the tools you have, but pick two or three at a time and give it time for students to get used to using it before introducing more. Introducing new tools slowly can be a good way of using what you have, testing its effectiveness, and keeping students from feeling overwhelmed that they disengage from the lesson plan.

Anticipate Problems

For more tips on making remote learning work, or for information about professional development for teachers in Montgomery County, contact our team today!