7 Ways Remote Teaching Should Differ from Traditional Classroom Teaching

It is expected that most teachers will be doing some form of remote teaching in the upcoming school year. This may be fully or partially, but one thing is certain: this time, you will not be teaching remotely without prior notice.

Therefore, planning for this transition is essential.

In this article, we list 7 guidelines that may help you in remote teaching according to best practices:

1. The first weeks of school should be dedicated to preparing students

Resist the urge to dive into the curriculum at the start of the school year. Things will run much more smoothly if you dedicate the first weeks to preparation so students feel connected. Above all, students need practice with whatever digital tools you will use. So, focus your lessons on these aspects and connect the two whenever possible.

2. Communication with parents must be more comprehensive and streamlined

Parents are also adapting to this new way of schooling. Because they are expected to play a larger role in supporting their children's learning, they need more support from you. According to specialists in this field, parents are essential partners in this type of education.

- Establish a consistent location and a predictable schedule for sharing information. When parents know where and when to look for information from you, they will do a better job of keeping up with it and following through. Weekly updates are a good way to keep everyone informed about what is happening in your class. Instead of juggling emails, text alerts, blog posts, website announcements, and newsletters, choose one platform for outgoing information and stick to it; if your entire school can do the same, you will see better results.

- Set clear expectations and boundaries for communication. Make it clear when students and parents can expect to hear from you. Also clarify how and when they can contact you when needed. If you do not make this clear, you will feel like you have to be available 24/7, which will quickly lead to burnout. Set regular office hours and post them in an easy-to-find place so parents know when you will be available.

- Create a backup plan for after-hours and technical support. If parents or students need help outside of regular office hours or need technical assistance, who can they contact? Make this information clearly accessible.

- Make communication multimodal. While it is important to post consistently through a single platform, it is also helpful to provide information in more than one way. For example, you can provide written announcements and record the same announcements in a short video each week so that students and parents can choose the method that works best for them.

- Provide tech training for parents. Parents will be better able to support students if they understand how to use the platform you are using.

3. Communication among teachers must be more structured

Your school leadership should build regular opportunities to stay in touch with your colleagues during this time. If they are not, create those opportunities for yourself.

- Staff meetings should be held regularly—even if virtual—to keep everyone connected.

- During these meetings, some time should be dedicated to entertainment and emotional support.

- Small groups, such as content-area teaching teams, can offer more support.

- If you are not getting the support you need, look for it across social media platforms.

4. Teacher collaboration has become more important

Facing the challenges of remote learning becomes easier when teachers work together. This means working more closely with specialists to ensure lessons and tools meet the needs of all students, and in the area of instructional planning.

Fortunately, collaborating online can be easier than trying to do so when everyone is working in the same building. We can even collaborate with people we did not previously have the time or space to work with.

5. Content should be simpler and slower-paced

Remote learning does not allow for covering large amounts of content, so you must choose wisely and teach the most important things at a slower pace. To make these choices, ask some key questions:

- What is truly in the best interest of students? What has lasting value? What knowledge is essential?

- What knowledge and skills do students need before moving on to the next grade level?

- What practices can be focused on that benefit multiple subjects? Skills like analysis, constructing arguments, building a strong knowledge base through texts, and speaking can be taught across many different subjects.

- What tools can serve multiple purposes?

6. Instructions should be accessible, clear, and multimodal

Instructions should be in a consistent place and at a consistent time. This advice was given for parents, but it is worth repeating here: design lessons so that students know where the instructions are every time. Make instructions clear. Read and reread to make sure they are as clear as possible. Provide multimodal instructions. If possible, provide written instructions and video instructions for assignments so students can choose the format that suits them best. You can also offer a synchronous daily or weekly meeting. The great thing about doing these procedures remotely is that even if you teach multiple sections of the same class a day, students are not tied to class times and can attend whenever suits them.

7. Assessment and feedback should be conducted clearly and continuously

Do not rely solely on the final assessment of work and activities. Also provide a way for students and parents to give you feedback on assignments.

What remains the same

Not everything in remote teaching is different. Certain aspects of good teaching should definitely remain the same.

- Ongoing communication

- Establishing a clear and consistent schedule

- Using research-based instructional strategies

- Determining whether digital or non-digital tools will be used to complete the assignment

- Focusing on learning outcomes, where authentic products are made and students have voice and choice in assignments

The learning environment may not be the same as what we are used to, but it is important to remember that good teaching remains good teaching, and we must think outside the box while teaching remotely.

Adapted source:

.https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/9-ways-online-teaching/

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.