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Help for teachers embarking on distance learning (in a great big hurry 🤣)...

I know we are being bombarded right now with a virtual firehose of content, ads, tech freebies, and more as we work to transition to our virtual teaching and learning worlds.

Many of you have been at this for weeks already, but many are just getting started. There are also parents and families out there who have expressed panic about what to expect once school "starts" again. Here I'll share some simple best practices as you plan for the weeks ahead.

1) Keep it super simple. For you, students, and families.

2) Don't attempt to replicate traditional school in a virtual setting. That's not what this moment calls for nor is it appropriate (or even possible).

3) When learning at home, some good guidance for the amount of "seat time"/work we can expect from our kids is:

TK-1st grade a little less than 50% of a typical school day,
Grades 2-8, 50%,
Grade 9-12, 50-75%, and
Honors/AP/IB students about 85% of their typical day.

I teach 7th grade, usually. We meet 5 times a week for 52 minutes each day (260 minutes total). When I try to visualize what this would look like virtually, I'm going to take my now 130 minutes of time for ELA for the week and decide how I will chunk the teaching and learning.

Thankfully, our district is pursuing the asynchronous model, meaning I put out a week's worth of content on Monday, and students work on it at their own pace as they are able. I can build in a weekly check-in and some light due dates but right now we are not grading work.

Right now, instead of grading, we are only encouraging engagement/ enrichment/ exposure/ and extending existing learning.

It's less overwhelming when you realize that your job now is to create bite-sized sets of learning moments, perhaps thematically arranged, that your students will come to work on however and whenever they can. What might that look like?

4) Remember the whole child. Prioritize community building, check-ins, establishing your new "school" online, routines/ procedures, "seeing" each other, and social-emotional wellness. Find the joy, engage the child, build confidence & a sense of safety/familiarity and connection.

5) You may have little or no control over your students' access. In a world where kids may be learning online with many resources (tech/family) or none, you must aim for equitable pathways for your students to learn be it on paper or on the highest powered digital tools made.

Whatever you do, do not knowingly widen the gaps our current system promulgates.

6) Don't overload kids and families with all kinds of tech that you weren't using with them before school closures began. Now is not the time to dazzle them with every tool out there (and there are hundreds).

It's stressful for them, for parents and family members trying to help, and really stressful for you. When in doubt, re-read item number one. There will be time for more but that time is not now.

7) Give yourself grace. You are learning with your students. You do not have to be perfect and neither do they. Mistakes and stumbles mean you are moving forward and that's the only direction we can go right now: forward.

I'm grateful to be in this massive national learning curve with you now and always.

I'm no expert on distance learning, but I am a teacher, a trainer of teachers, a mom of a student, and a caring colleague. I hope that these tips are helpful wherever you are in this process.