The school year of 2020 will be one for history books. And while we know this and can sit back in awe at the fact that we are living through history, this doesn't change the fact that teachers need to navigate through this time and still teach worthwhile lessons. To add to the craziness of this year, many teachers are starting their first day of school online. Planning for a “traditional” school year is busy, planning for virtual teaching is overwhelming! Because of this, our team has put together a sample virtual schedule and ideas/activities. Keep reading to see the schedule AND some ideas to tuck into your virtual teaching bag of tricks.
Community Building
If your school year is starting virtually, community building is the most important part of your day. (Along with teaching routines and procedures, but that is next!) In a traditional school year community building does need to be planned for and implemented BUT so much of it happens naturally with the face to face interaction. Many teachers don't have that luxury this year. However, they are ways to do this virtually! Building classroom community during distance learning doesn't have to be impossible. Here are a couple more ways to build classroom community:
- Play games during your virtual morning meeting. This was a hit during the spring. Games like I spy, Three Truths and a Lie or Show & Tell (a favorite). These games allow for natural relationship building. Click HERE to check out our previous post on 15 Zoom ( or any digital platform) Activities.
- Do a get to know you activity. Pre-Covid, many teachers had students bring in items/pictures to share to get to know them better. This can STILL be done…just virtually! Grab this Me Bag freebie to use to learn fun tidbits about your students!
Routines & Procedures
Every year teachers spend a lot of time in the beginning of the school year teaching routines and procedures. They are what keep the classroom “afloat”. Many of the routines and procedures teachers teach their students in face to face school are not needed during virtual learning. However, there still are some important routines and procedures to teach. Some important ones to touch on week one:
- Virtual meeting behavior: raise hand, mute on/off, eating/drinking allowed or not, etc..
- Turning in assignments: how to and when
- Daily schedule: what consistent routines can students expect
- Independent Work: What is expected? How thorough? When will the teacher give feedback?
- Questions: What to do when a student has a question while the teacher is not available?
The list could go on, but you get the idea! Plan to spend a LOT of time teaching your most important virtual routines and procedures the first week (or first seven weeks)!
Sample Virtual Schedule
Consistency is KEY when teaching little learners. Creating a solid virtual schedule will ensure student success! Need help coming up with a daily routine/schedule? Below our team has created a sample virtual schedule.
If you want a closer look at any of the products listed in the sample schedule, see below!
Finally, don't forget to start your day with a positive attitude and remember, together we are better!
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