Top Teacher Tips for Thriving in the Virtual Classroom

While fall 2020 isn’t what any of us expected, it has come with so many opportunities to grow, experiment, and hone our pedagogical practices. We are so amazed by the resilience of our instructors and our students as they navigate the world of 1:1 virtual learning. As we head into the spring semester, now is the perfect time to do an inventory of your practices. Are you following these eight tips for success with online teaching? 

It’s very important to be engaging and interactive when teaching online!

It’s very important to be engaging and interactive when teaching online!

  1. Your student uses their document camera regularly to share their work live with you.

  2. You and your student both work in a calm space free of distractions. 

  3. Your sessions follow a clear agenda that you communicate to your students.

  4. You communicate regularly with students and their parents before and after sessions.

  5. You integrate plenty of time for students to do the work themselves (ie, you institute appropriate “wait time”).

  6. You are utilizing Zoom functionality regularly to promote engaging sessions (ie, both you and your students are comfortable with sharing your screen).

  7. You know how to integrate a mix of physical and digital resources into your lesson plans (see our digital resource guide here!).

  8. If you’re working with elementary students, you are following best practices to keep them engaged (see our guide to virtual teaching with elementary students here!).

We hope you had a wonderful and engaging fall semester, and look forward to bringing our A-game in spring 2021!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Staci Stutsman
Staci Stutsman

Assistant Head of School
Staci is a dedicated and detail-oriented Assistant Head of School who supports the daily operations and processes of the school. Her responsibilities include leading strategy on teacher professional development, student learning, and staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding. Beyond her work at Pacific Preparatory, Staci is proud to lead school district partnerships at Tutor Corps and our scholarship program at the Tutor Corps Foundation, working to bring the gift of 1:1 education at free and reduced rates to over 200 students a year. Staci graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Western Michigan University before completing her Ph.D. in English from Syracuse University. At Syracuse, she taught college-level writing classes and trained new graduate teaching assistants. Before becoming the Operations Director at Pacific Preparatory, Staci taught students across the Bay Area through the organization. Her experience as a teacher has given her a unique perspective on the needs of both teachers and students in the 1:1 education space. Staci's attention to detail and strong work ethic have made her an invaluable member of the team. In her free time, Staci loves reading fiction, snuggling with her dogs, cooking, and going for hikes around Portland.

Online LearningStaci Stutsman (she/her/hers)