Once a Teacher, Always a Teacher

Liana Fitzgerald, International Computer High-school of Bucharest, 8th Jan2021, for SHINE English Teaching Annual Conference

Re-establishing the Classroom in an Online Environment

Once a Teacher,Always a Teacher

Teaching online can sometimes feel like trying to teach on a roller coaster; paper is useless, communication is poor, your movements restricted and someone is always shouting, but no one can really tell who. Let's take a look at a few teaching values and learning habits that amidst all the confusion stay the same, help teachers and learners connect much the same way theyhave always done, and why not, maybe all involved will get to enjoy the roller coaster ride after all.

01 Introduction

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There are esentially three pillars to building a successful learner community:

Re-establishing a learning community

(Brophy, 2010)

Teach things that are worth learning in ways that help students appreciate their value

Focus their attention on individual and collaborative learning goals and help them achieve these goals

Make yourself and your classroom attractive to students

Learning/Classroom Environment - help students create a comfortable, suitable space for "coming to school"Netiquette - provide clear guidlines / rules for joining and taking part in online classes (set expectations rather then simply expect)"Decorate the classroom" - use collaborative apps to design projects, make class websites, use shared backgrounds

Re-making the classroom and the teacher attractive to students

Predictability - set routines and practices and be consistent; knowing what to expect from the teacher is great comforter for studentsRespect power - choose an authoritative rather than authoritarian style, elicit and accept students' input, explain your choices and remind students of the importance and benefits of certain behaviours rather than imposing rules ("mute all" vs the "walkie-talkie" approach)Immediacy - authentic and quick reactions can not only bring students closer, but they usually solve behaviour problems before they even arise (non-verbal: smiles, leaning closer, eye-contact, positive gestures etc.verbal: humour, self-disclosure, "we/our" language, first names (Brophy, 2010)

Re-making the classroom and the teacher attractive to students

• Set goals - teaching goals, learning goals, lesson goals, unit goals, semester.... you get the idea :-) In this novel teaching context teachers cannot rely on outside forces (alone) to provide classroom aims, they need to reconsider and adapt content to students' present needs.
• Be transparent - let students know what they are trying to reach, ask for, consider and value their input
• Scaffold - check understanding and instructions more often, break complex activities, and in turn complex goals in manageable parts, so students can manage well and enjoy their own breakthroughs

Setting goals and helping students achieve them

Teach relevant contentMake that relevance clear to studentsLess content means higher quality inputChose activities which support students in using higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)

Less has never been more!

Bonus for hybrid teaching

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Jig-saw reading in breakout rooms

The same type of activity can be used for writing (Ss write beginnings, bodies and ends to stories and then have fun putting them together. It makes for a great "classroom decoration"), revision activities etc.

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Step 4

Bring everyone back as a class, check answers, (give rewards)

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Step 1

Present the text and break it down into sections.

Step 2

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Assign Ss to expert groups according to each text section

Step 3

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Re-assign Ss to home groups, so they can put their answers together

Individual needs, different levels of interest and involvement, varied motivational patterns, preferred stimuli and... a miracle one-size fits all solution!

Re-establishing student-teacher relations as learning environments shift

This is where the online environment really SHINES - virtually unlimited resources! Anyhing from simple fill-in-the-blanks exercises, to complex worksheets with built-in correction tools, to games, presentations, infographics, mindmaps etc. With any or all of these it is easy to reach individual needs at the same time, it is easier to adapt the dificulty level of a certain task or work on different project entirely with different students at the same time frame

Like people in any setting, students in a classroom pursue multiple goals. Play the odds - if they have a wide enough range of goals, they will have to fulfil at least some.

Flexibility

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OK, OK, the online is all vast and great, but what about those popular activities which involve running, grabbing, building etc? Students love those and they miss them so much! So... do them! :-)

Kinaesthetic activities

Random DJ Dance Party

Live Escape Room

Christmas Relay

*PEP

P - Privacy

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P- Proximity

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E - eye-contact

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Re-connect on a personal level

Show them they are wanted. They need it most!

Dealing with difficult students

Give them what they want and they'lldo what you expect.

Socialising (uninterested or alienated) students

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"FUN" ONLINE TESTS (PICTURES, VIDEOS, HIDDEN MESSAGES)

BOARD GAMES(GET IT RIGHT TO MOVE FORWARD)

ESCAPE ROOM GAMES (READ TO ESCAPE)

Gamify to motivate high! :-)

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But enough about them, what about us?

Re-charging teachers' own batteries

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Looking for (and always finding) excuseswill only keep you away from your goals, your students and your own sense of achievement

Spreading yourself too thinor expecting too much of yourself will only lead to disappointment and burn out.

Set realistic goalsfor yourself, so you can enjoy reaching them.

Embrace the opportunities and move with the timesEnjoy being a life-long learner, using technology to bridge the age gap and finding new ways of doing the same ol' same ol'.

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Show yourself the same kindness, curteousy and patience (! <3 ) in the process of owning this new environment and of leading your classroom

And that's a good thing! You are on your own, which means you get to make your own decisions, set your own goals, be your own greatest teacher.

Treat yourself likeyou treat your students

No one is coming*

This is not something what will happen, this is already happening!

be a model of life-long learning for your students, and this way bring harmony and happiness to the classrooms you lead.

+ Be mindful and purposeful of our own practices

and half the job is already done!

+ Present content around powerful memorable contexts

it's never too late to re-build that safe positive learning community!

in applying the changes - it will make students trust you and get on board.

Re-viewing key strategies

+ Take time to re-connect with your students

+ Be coherent and consistent

and get ready to give change some serious thought... Give change a chance :-D

+ Apply motivational strategies constantly and methodically

+ Take a step back

Here are some of the tools I find useful (without being affiliated to any :)) )

Liana Fitzgerald International Computer High-school of Bucharestfitzgerald.liana@ichb.ro

Thank you!