Teachers across the country all have similar versions of the same crazy story that is: Teaching during the 2020 pandemic. My version had us starting the 2020-2021 school year in person. We called it the “face to face” instruction model. I was completely surprised we made it an entire month before moving to virtual teaching and learning.
Virtual...Again
After switching to virtual teaching again (as we had in the spring), it took several weeks to find our footing. This time around our district kept reminding us we were not in “crisis mode” anymore. We talked about maintaining rigor and expectations so that we could close the learning gaps from spring. Wow–talk about pressure!
As the weeks went by, we settled into a good routine and my team and I were excited to see our students really learning in this new set up. We teach shorter lessons LIVE (10-15 minutes) and then students leave our google meet to do individual practice on Seesaw (our online learning platform).
Engaging Students
I know I’m not alone when I say my most important goal when planning for virtual lessons is capturing student attention and keeping them engaged. My elementary students join our google meet from home / daycare / grandma’s house / the babysitter’s house and are trying to focus on our learning goals for the day with a variety of other distractions coming at them. Who can blame them for having trouble focusing? (Side note: I am so impressed with how our students have managed the difficulties of this season in their lives.)
This brings me to…
My favorite ways to engage students while teaching LIVE online
1. Show up to class a few minutes early
This might not work with everyone’s schedule…however, I’ve found I have several students who like to get on our google meet a few minutes early. Even on the days when I’m rushing to get plans done or give feedback (who am I kidding–that’s every day), I try to hop on our google meet 3-4 minutes early.
Students like to chat and tell me stories or show me things. These connections are the ones that tell me my students know I care about them. They know I see them and I’m there for them. This translates to their behavior and attitude in class. Building on those relationships creates more engagement with the learning.
2. Start class with a conversation question or easy game
I’m all about easing into class. I love teaching language because we can take our time before jumping into the learning goals while still using valuable language!
I definitely start with a conversation question (usually ¿Cómo estás?) when I can tell several students have things they want to share. This helps us get the focus on Spanish while also working through some chatti-ness.
Another reason I love starting with conversation questions is it’s using language students are already confident with. Reminding students they can find success using Spanish gives them a great boost at the start of class.
Similarly, starting class with a simple game boosts confidence (and engagement) as well. I often start class with a bonus round of a game played during the previous class. Another option is to play a quick round of a game with content from the previous unit. It’s so fun to see student faces light up when they realize they know the words they need for the activity. This helps me gain their trust and thus, engagement, later on in our lesson.
3. Plan lessons with different ways to participate (even if they aren’t strong in your subject)
I’m sure we can agree that people are more likely to participate when they feel comfortable. Simply put, some students are more likely to answer a yes/no or either/or question instead of an open ended question. Asking questions about their opinions is another great way to include everyone.
I like to intentionally plan ways students who are less confident can still be a contributing member of our class community. For example, my modified-for-virtual learning memory game only asks students to choose which number card we look under next. I accept answers in English or Spanish and sometimes kids don’t even unmute–they just show me on their fingers. This is a low risk scenario and students really enjoy playing this game. We work as a group to remember where the different cards are.
4. Add in animation or “moving parts” to your slides/presentation/visual
I find adding animation to the google slides I use when teaching helps students to focus on what I need them to see. I make correct answers pop up or spin around. Adding an oval to show which picture you’re talking about is another option.
My favorite “moving part” is to physically move items around the board based on what students tell me. This works better with some content vs others but I find students eagerly raising their hands during this type of activity. I do have to stop presentation mode in order to move the items, but it’s well worth it.
One example is a simple Tic Tac Toe board. We play “Class vs. Sra” and I move the shape to the spot I want to claim it. Then it’s the students’ turn. You can use any vocab set for Tic Tac Toe; I love to add in a verb structure so that students are practicing putting together a sentence each time. I find it’s a great way to differentiate and then model for kids who need it.
Other examples I’ve used recently:
*Talk about where you’re going and move a boy or girl around a map
*Talk about what you have in your backpack and move items to the backpack
*Give opinions about basically anything (weather, food, exercises, sports) and move photos to different emojis (thumbs up/down)
5. Guessing Games
This one is quickly becoming a favorite (both of mine and my students!). I love that it can work for my virtual classes as well as when we’re face to face. Plus, it can work with basically any content.
To play, the teacher (or student) picks a word and students try to guess which word they’re thinking of. You can put a limit on it and have them guess in 3 tries or leave it unlimited.
Here are some examples:
–We played “guess what shape I’m hiding behind my back” with kindergarten
–2nd graders guessed where I was going on the school map
–We’re learning foods and food groups in 3rd grade so I picked a “secret food” and had students ask me “¿Qué comes?” to practice the question/answer process as well.
By playing up the secrecy and excitement, I get all the hands in the air! I also give the winners a ticket which works well for our PBIS system.
Participation = expected behavior!
6. If at all possible, stay available to your students throughout the day
This is just one more way for students to know and actually believe you’re there for them. At first I worried I would never get anything done when I decided to leave my google meet open all day. However, I noticed students really only come on when they genuinely have a question. I chuckle because most often I’m helping my younger students figure out their schedule–what do I have next?
One tip that really makes this work for me is I turn off my camera and mute myself when class is not in session and I’m working. Then, when a student pops on, I unmute and chat with them. It helps to leave that boundary there so I can focus on work and then switch to helping students when they need it.
Long story short, this is nothing new but definitely worth repeating. People respond and engage when we talk to them; when someone else engages with them first. Creating that community environment, even over the internet, leads to greater buy-in and engagement from students.
Are there days when I feel like no one wants to talk to me or answer my questions? Of course. Are there times when I’m practically doing a song and dance with barely a response? Yep.
I hope you’ll work hard to not let it get you down, though. I try to remind myself that our students have off days just like we teachers do. Remember, what matters most, especially right now, is your students know you’re there for them and you care about them. So, even at the end of a class that was on the struggle bus the entire time, I tell my students I’m so glad to see them and I thank them for coming to class.
