Teaching on a computer screen is not pleasant. The challenge of unstable internet connections is enough alone to create frustrations on both ends of the screen. The complexities of teaching young children are further magnified when teachers don’t have the most prized tool in their teacher toolkit, physical proximity. But constraints don’t just bring frustrations, they also bring lessons and challenges that improve outputs and procedures.
Good design is often informed by constraints. The Harvard Business Review reviewed 145 empirical studies on the effects of constraints on creativity and innovation, and found that individuals, teams, and organizations alike benefit from constraints. Constraints give teams creative challenges that provide motivation for employees to generate innovative ideas and processes. While it would be an irrefutable lie to say that I have enjoyed teaching over Zoom, the constraints of teaching online have reshaped some of my priorities and thinking as an educator. My goal is to ensure that I do not forget the lessons I learned over the last seven months teaching over Zoom.
Investment is key. The most fascinating part about remote learning is that students have an actual choice as to whether or not they engage in school. Students can walk away from their screens anytime they wish. Walking away can be due to a bodily need, a familial need, frustration, or sheer boredom. Investing my students in our classroom community and the purpose of school and its subjects has been key in ensuring that my students not only choose to stay at their workstations but also engage purposefully as active listeners and participants. As schools reopen, all teachers need to treat each moment in school as if students could leave at any moment. If students stay engaged when they have the choice to do otherwise then they understand the purpose of what they are doing and are engaged as intellectual participants, not in fear of punishment.
Positive praise is powerful. This year more than ever, I have seen the impact of keeping things positive. Good teachers know that they need to give precise praise to students. My general rule of thumb is three positive interactions for every one negative one. After all, most of the children follow directions and all children succeed at one thing or another every day. But in a remote environment, the impact of precise positive praise is even greater, particularly with parents.
Because of the challenges of holding children accountable, teachers need to have parents on their team. Simply put, when parents feel that you care about the success of their children they are more helpful in helping you meet their child’s goals, whether they are social-emotional or academic. Parents are also more likely to provide positive support. With the new wave of digital platforms, it is easier than ever to share work, videos, and photos of children in action. Not only do parents feel a sense of pride, kids feel more invested in the learning knowing that all of the adults in their lives are invested in their education. Communicating with more than just the primary contact deepens this connection even further. In sending positive praise to aunts, daycare workers, and grandparents my students now feel that I am invested in the entirety of their lives.
Breaks make everything better. Kids love movement and all good teachers leverage this to make sure that students have the mental clarity to stay focused in school. The thing that teachers often forget is that it is okay to allow themselves to take a break.
In the most productive American workplaces, companies have long known that breaks and time for self are worth investing in. One of the most impactful tools in Zoom is mute. While many teachers may be tempted to mute students. I have learned that muting myself is far more powerful. Taking time for myself on mute has allowed me to be more positive and emotionally consistent. When going back in-person teachers must know when to “walk away” for a few quick moments for ourselves.
While time with oneself is important, it can be equally important to spend time with coworkers. I have sometimes felt alone with teaching over the computer, but every single time I have taken time to connect with colleagues I have felt recharged and more productive. A break can be reconnecting on a purely social basis. Too often teacher uses their prep time for pure productivity, but I have learned this year that spending some time on joy and interpersonal connection can lead to better teacher output.
The constraints of remote learning have given schools creative challenges that provide teachers the space to generate and reevaluate their mindsets and practices. When students go back into the classroom, I will be recharged with mindsets and tools to keep students happy and learning and to keep myself calm and centered.
Comentarios