I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment! This is the time to give yourself PERMISSION TO TEACH! Our state testing has been cancelled, the kids are home and in quarantine, and parents are looking at us for help! Guess what, teachers? We were made for this! What an opportunity to share with the rest of the world what we do! We TEACH!!
What do we teach? We teach KIDS! Kids are first. Read that again. Kids are first. We may say that we teach 4th grade or high school English- but the truth is that we teach KIDS! These same kids we teach are at home right now worried, scared, anxious and probably elated over the fact that they “think” we are off of “school” for six months! Little do they know that their education is only going to look different. But guess what? Learning is super fun! We dig engagement, excitement, and are passionate about sharing our content with others. We didn’t get into this profession for summers off (at least I hope you didn’t!). Teaching is our jam. It is in our blood, so let’s do this thing!
But how? How are we to embrace distance learning? Well, I’ve been teaching online for 11 years at the collegiate level. I’ve created staff training online and even wrote my master’s thesis describing effective online strategies for adult learners. Likewise, in my fourth grade classroom, we have digital platforms for written responses, programs for math practice, science curriculum as well as social studies and typing clubs. I’ll share many different resources in another post, but for now, let’s just talk about one thing: KIDS!
Before you think anymore about what you will teach, I want you to stop and think about WHO you will teach. What do you think they are going through? Some kids will be super happy and excited about the changes coming at them. Some kids will be confused and will have weird questions about what to expect. Some kids will have heard their parents say, “I’m not a teacher” or “I don’t know what to do” or “I don’t know how to help you.” It’s okay. I promise. We are all learning together. Please do not take it personally or feel like you are being attacked. You need the support of parents and we’ll find ways to engage them, too. But for now, think about the kids you teach. What do they need? They need your face. Your voice. I know, I know. I don’t want to make videos either, but guess what? My students need to hear me say, “I love you! We’re going to figure this out together.” Let them see you.
You don’t have to have all the answers to say “Hello.” How many of you have all of your curriculum mapped out on “Meet the Teacher” night? Exactly. You just have to show up. So, start there. Think about what you want to say to your kids. Even the high school kids would appreciate a little video that assures them that things are going to be okay. And, it is okay to say that we’re learning together. We’ll figure out what works for our classroom. I’m going to work on my video today. Keep it simple and short, but let your kids see your face. Let the kids hear your voice. Tell them, assure them, and comfort them in your knowledge that despite what is going on in the world, you care about them and want to be there for them.
Intentional. Please, for the love of all that is holy, please be intentional about the next steps. Do not look for the easy way out. Stop and think about your end game. Think about the stress families are facing, the resources available, and what you really, really want and need kids to know. This is the perfect time to enact the principles of Backward Design. Start planning for instruction by filling in the blanks to this statement:
At the end of _______________________, I want my students to know _______________________ and be able to _____________________________.
Keep it simple. For instance, at the end of 4th grade, I want my students to know how to multiply 2×2 digit numbers and be able to solve complex problems using multiplication.
For all of you Texas teachers, these should only link to your essential standards. This is not the time to think that you can teach everything. In fact, if we are honest, most of us have already hit most of our curriculum in preparation of benchmarks and state testing. So, this March-May time is mostly skills review and application. Awesome! Pick the skills that students need to work on the most. But, don’t start there. Start with something that should be relatively easy for them. Pick something that they can do quickly and easily so that they learn how to use the online platform. Build confidence in students and their parents. Remember that this is new to them. Don’t try to teach something brand new in the first few days. Just breathe. Everyone breathe. Let kids log in, post a picture of themselves, maybe take a silly selfie or something to break the ice. They miss their friends. Find a way to address the students before you address the curriculum. When you figure that out, then start thinking about intentionally planning lessons.
Remember, you were born for this! Teaching is what we do. This is our chance to show the world that we can adapt to any situation because we are teachers! We know how to inspire kids. For once, give yourself PERMISSION TO TEACH!
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