3 Tips for Avoiding Common Educator Mistakes in Distance Learning

While education is rapidly shifting to online distance learning, many classroom teachers can feel like a fish out of water. As a teacher who has experience making that shift, I can attest that the learning curve can be a bit steep. Of course, most good teaching practices are still relevant within distance learning. But there are a few strategies that are specific to success as an online/distance learning teacher. In an effort to simplify the transition for others, I thought I would share some of the strategies I learned when making the shift to distance learning.

Over Communicate

Communication is always important in education but it becomes even more vital when students cannot physically see teachers. In fact, I have come to believe that communication is the most essential component of a successful distance learning program. While students understand intellectually that teachers are there to help, it can become easy to forget that there is really a person on the other end when teacher and student are in separate locations. For this reason, the onus of initiating communication is on the teachers. Here are a few critical communication strategies.

• • Frequency - Teachers should make contact in one way or another with each student at least twice a week. Daily contact is best but not always possible to do.

  • Method - Use every method at your disposal to communicate with students. I have found that private messages in the learning management system, comments on assignments, and discussion boards are most effective. But drop in "office hours" sessions on Zoom, Google Meet, or other meeting software is great too. If all else fails with a particular student, a text message or an old fashioned phone call can help you reconnect.

  • Personalization - How many times have we gotten that mass email that we have deleted without ever opening it? Expect the same from your students. While weekly updates or newsletters sent en masse are beneficial, individual contact with each student is essential. With that said, however, holding a group Zoom meeting can be one way to check in individually even if many students are in attendance.

  • Tone - This is one of the most frequent mistakes made by distance learning educators. Remember that 93% of all communication is generated through body language and tone of voice, neither of which can be seen or heard through emails and personal messages. Consequently, it can be easy to misconstrue intent in virtual communication. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that you take great care to produce messages that convey a willingness to help regardless of the situation (i.e. missing assignments, poor test scores).

Allow for Asynchronous Learning

I've seen teachers try to mimic the school day minute for minute in a distance learning environment and it never seems to work. Distance learning is designed to allow students the flexibility to work when it is most convenient for them to do so, not when teachers think they should be. We do not know all of the circumstances of a particular student or the environment in which they live. I have taught high school students who were professional surfers and those who were incarcerated. Their schedules differed from mine so I could not always assume that they were doing what I wanted them to at any given time. Consider this scenario: Your student's parents are in the healthcare field and must work long hours during this challenging time. Your student, then, must watch their younger sibling(s), help them with school work, and make lunch for them. This situation is not conducive to a student taking an online test at 10:41 AM. They will not be able to give the assignment its due attention. Allowing for asynchronous learning lends itself to better outcomes.

Be Flexible

I have heard it from more teachers than I can name: "Just bear with me while I learn this new system". I fully agree that we should all take great care to be flexible with our teachers. You are facing tremendous challenges during this time. It is important to remember that students are facing the same stresses. Both teachers and students are learning new software and workflow systems. Varying degrees of technology glitches slow the process for both teachers and students. Teachers need to be more flexible with students in the same way they are requesting that parents and administrators be flexible with them. Bear in mind that students cannot ask teachers a question in person and get immediate answers to their problems. This might mean some assignments are received late. Deadlines should be more flexible than in a brick and mortar classroom to insure success for both teachers and students.

Having been there, I empathize with teachers who have to make this quick transition. I hope you will find something here that can help you navigate your new experiences. Know that you are in my thoughts and good luck.