Four Lessons From My High School English Zoom Room
If you would have told me in March 2020 that I still would still be teaching 9th graders via Zoom today, I would have laughed right in your unmasked face. It was incomprehensible. And here I am, living the work mullet life (business on the top, yoga pants on the bottom). My district is slated to go back to in-person in April, so I’ve been reflecting on my effective practices. Enjoy some ideas from my Coronavirus Teacher Toolkit:
- Passing Notes Is SOOOO 2019: It’s amazing what you can accomplish via chat! Classroom chats can build rapport, communicate and reiterate directions, share insights, and offer a space for private check-ins with students. My 3rd block and I had a debate over “mayochup” (the abomination of ketchup mixed with mayonnaise) only because I asked students to drop their favorite condiment in the chat to signal they opened a document. Students who are too shy to answer in the group chat can private message me with their contributions. One day this happened in the chat, and I knew we had a community forming:
When we return to the building, I am going to use a platform like Backchannel Chat to continue these conversations.
2. Lights! No Cameras! Action!: Cameras off is a surprising blessing. My students rarely turn on their cameras and for many reasons, that’s more than OK. Besides, there are no phones scuttled under a tabletop while their backs are to me. I don’t see students rolling their eyes, or get distracted by watching them trying to get someone’s attention from across the room. At least two of my students babysit for a family member during the day, so they can attend to class and their little loved ones at the same time without the worry of cameras. And there is the added benefit of assuming my students are 100% on-task. I enjoy this fantasy and will indulge in it as long as possible.
3. I See You: At the start of each class, I privately check in with students using a form I learned about from Ken Shelton. Most students reply, and it gives me a good sense of what students require. Sometimes students just want to share they had croissants for breakfast or just say they are grateful to God they and their family are healthy. Sometimes a student needs to tell me their grandmother is sick to get it off their chest. Other times, students are in distress. I encourage them to take breaks whenever they want, and I promise not to call on them that day. Once in a while, the student feels so sick or distraught, I encourage them to step away from our Zoom and take care of themselves. Anyone who selects “not good,” automatically gets a private message from me and a then a check-in with their counselor.
4. Just Breathe: Because of the trauma of Covid, I have made centering a regular part of class. After we check in with each other, we pause to arrive and breathe. For the students who take part, it helps them focus and feel calmer. One student informed me she practices on her own now. It also helps me live in the moment, to push away energy from the earlier class or email. We are all better because of the space we allow each other to inhale and exhale.
Now I’d love to hear from you…
Teachers: What are you transferring from your Zoom room to your in-person classroom?
Parents/Guardians: What have you seen in the Zoom room that you’d like your child’s teacher to carry into the in-person classroom?
