24 Mar Remote Classroom Norms

One of the best ways we can feel more productive in our online teaching endeavors is through doing what we already do in the regular classroom (that works) and applying it to our new virtual classrooms.

I made two videos this week to help us think through ways to make our time more productive as well as more effective.  I spend a lot of time just listening and watching.  I listen and watch what is working with my own children as they learn to navigate online school, what my teacher friends are saying/complaining about, what parents in the neighborhood express as frustrations, and of course, what the entire online world has to stay about our new predicament.

Those interactions led to these two videos.

1.  How do we foster more independence with our students working at home?

Let’s just say it.  They struggle with independence at school too.  But now, we aren’t there to redirect or help focus, or to explain– at least not how we used to be.  But when we WERE there, what worked best?  I made my instructions more clear, more visual, gave feedback, waited for questions, etc.  What I’m hearing from the teacher community is how many questions they are getting every day from students and parents.  This can be frustrating, no matter how relevant and needed.  Our goal isn’t to be frustrated, it is to be reflective.  How can we be more clear in our directions, expectations, etc?  How can we use fewer words (because let’s face it, they aren’t reading all of those typed directions, nor our the parents– I’m one of them— it is just too much to take in.)?  In my first video, I explore the three steps to lessen the number of questions, redirect (please read the directions AGAIN), etc., and increase the amount of confidence and independence from our students.

Take a look….

2. Just like in Classroom Meetings, Norms MUST be set for the Community to Thrive

In my second quick video, I address the case for setting up norms.  I happened to be a part of my son’s first-class meeting online and it was total chaos.  Everyone was talking at the same time (albeit it was adorable to see them all so excited to see each other), but they really didn’t accomplish anything of substance.  Although this fulfilled their social need, it could have done that AND accomplished so much more.  It was clear to me that they didn’t know the social etiquette of an ‘online’ meeting, and why would they?  You don’t allow everyone to talk in your classrooms, yet you expect everyone to contribute.  You want every person to feel heard and to feel safe.  Think about the norms you’ve established in your regular classrooms and then think of how you can turn them into working norms for your online meetings. In addition, we have established math classroom norms that we can revisit with students as we share how our learning might look different than it has, but how it will also feel the same.

I’ve given you several examples, but I realize they won’t fit all of your unique needs.

Take the ideas and make them work for you and for your situation and for your students.

Here is the video on norms.

Beginning of Video is Online Norms

@ 4:21 Math Norms Begin – mistakes

@4:24  How to Put talking about math back into remote teaching

@7:44  How mathematicians use online tools and printable tools

@7:58 Perseverance & Problem Solving

Get The Editable Norm Posters and the Poster Version Shown in the Video Here :