Online teaching – What I’ve learnt during lockdown
Bobby Seagull explains what teaching through school shutdowns has taught him…
Before the lockdown I’d done a minimal amount of remote teaching. I’d used platforms like Google Classroom for setting homework, but never as a tool for communicating directly with students online.
I’m fairly used being in front of a camera, presenting documentaries and sometimes appearing on live television, but teaching young people via livestreaming turned out to be a very different task.
I could tell when students were getting bored
During a normal lesson, I’d usually walk round, check students’ books and make sure they’re engaged.
That wasn’t possible online, but I did pick up on some visual cues, particularly typed comments.
Posting multiple-choice questions they could click on helped them focus, while giving me a sense of their progress.
Live lessons can involve putting on a show
Teachers aren’t entertainers, but there were times when I tried making things more engaging by using props.
During a lesson on Roman numerals for younger children, I dressed up as a Roman general with the aid of a bicycle helmet and an umbrella.
Being slightly eccentric could help hold their attention.
Expect to change and evolve your approach
At first, I felt obliged to respond to all comments by saying ‘Well done’ to all these different names.
But then I received feedback from parents saying that whole lessons seemed to just consist of shout-outs.
I soon learned to refine the form and frequency of the feedback I gave.
Trending
Our pick of the recent posts and tweets that teachers might find useful…
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A five-part, two-and-a-half video series produced by Tom Sherrington (@teacherhead), distilling his workshops and masterclasses on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, complete with accompanying slides
Bobby Seagull is a secondary maths teacher and broadcaster. ‘Bobby Seagull’s Mid Morning Maths’ Facebook live lessons are archived and available to view at explorelearning.co.uk/bobbys-mid-morning-maths
