Yes we can (teach and learn this fall)
Author: Kathleen Almy
Yes, it is possible to teach remotely and engage students, have community, have integrity of grades, and enjoy teaching again.
This and more are what most teachers are wondering about. "How will I create a sense of community with new students and being remote?" "How do I use group work when we're socially distanced?" "How do I teach remote students and in-person students at the same time?" All of these questions have answers and thankfully, the solutions have the ability to be implemented. They may not be simple or quick, but solutions exist.
“We have to have the growth mindset that we ask of our students.”
Preparing for Fall
Lately, my posts have been about all the challenges educators are facing right now. Administrators and teachers alike are likely in one of the most stressful times of their careers. That hasn't changed. But we have made progress with remote teaching and learning since March. In all of this chaos and upheaval, schools and colleges have made swift changes. Lots of trials and plenty of errors, but like we tell our students, that's growth and learning. We have to have the growth mindset that we ask of our students.
Remote Teaching Solutions
Educators are by nature resourceful and giving. And that has definitely been the case since COVID hit. Resources, professional development, ideas, crowdsourced documents, and more have been created to support educators. It can almost be overwhelming how many tools are available. But better that than the alternative of not enough.
Does that mean that we're all good to go for fall? No. Frustration and fear are everywhere. But instead of focusing on that today, I want to focus on positive things that are happening to help provide solutions. One of the things I'm most excited about is our upcoming day next week (August 3) of FREE professional development with Maria Andersen. I meant what I said last month that this business is committed to reducing equity gaps. For that to happen, all teachers have to be well trained in remote teaching and have resources to support their teaching. We want to help, so we're making one day of our 4-day training next week free. And we're giving away free resources. Attendees who want more can have the full four days of training for $100 total. But no math educator has to worry about funds to get the first day of 3 hours of training. It's real training, not a sales pitch.
If you're at all worried about teaching remotely this fall, join us for Monday's PD. If you like it, there's more. Regardless, you can gain confidence for the new school year. Implementing new tools with your teaching isn’t simple, but it is possible when you have the information and support to do so.
And as you get ready for the launch of the school year, read this first post in a series of three blogs on the first day of teaching online.
Start by getting a free taste of Maria's training now. Check out this half hour webinar on online STEM assessment. If you like that and sign up for OnRaMP Express that starts on August 3.
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