Tips for Teaching Online

As schools close around the world, we know many teachers have swapped in-person classrooms for a virtual one. We’ve brought together some of our favourite tips and tricks for creating a supportive and engaging learning environment—even remotely.

Embrace new opportunities for communication

Since launching our Live Online courses, we’ve been using (and loving) Zoom for both our courses and our meetings. You may not have the option of what software to use in your virtual classroom, but regardless, some things that work well in-person just don’t translate online. But the good news is that this discrepancy works in our favour as well, and being on conferencing software presents new ways to communicate and build connection. Here are a few of our favourites.

Be seen and heard We ask our students to have their videos on, and not to mute themselves unless their sound will be disruptive. We hear their chuckles and sighs, their crunches and affirmations. And, we love it. We love hearing and seeing people be human. It helps the online experience be intimate, breaks down barriers and builds connection. If someone sneezes and we can’t hear it, did they really sneeze? You may need to educate your students (or colleagues!) on the impact they make when they choose to mute themselves or opt for a fake beach background. Show them how it feels and what it looks like to show up as fully yourself online.

Know your technology really well We find it very distracting when someone is using technology they are unfamiliar with. Understand the features and clearly explain them and their use to your participants so they can get involved, too.

Hide non-video participants One feature we use on Zoom is the option to hide people who turn off their videos. It’s like being in a room with thirty people, and then suddenly being in a room with one. We use this for coaching demonstrations and visualisations, but it is great for any time you want to highlight a smaller group of students for a longer period of time, like a presentation.

Share it in the Chat We used to do a word association activity in-person where we would say a word like, ‘love’ and we would ask for people to share the first word that came mind. The first time we did this online, it was painful. People were hesitant to speak, they cut each other off or spoke over each other. It just didn’t work. The next time, we asked everyone to share their one word in the Chat. And it was amazing. The words flowed in like a constant feed. You could read everyone’s answer, as well as recognise the patterns, similarities and differences. Think about how you can similarly use the Chat to allow multiple students to answer a question at the same time, or with a group that is more hesitant to speak up.

Split into smaller groups Depending on the age of your students, breakout rooms (as Zoom calls them) can be a great way to set up smaller group discussions and activities, and break up monotony. Once they are in the rooms, you can moderate their experience by sending out broadcasts. Share sentiments such as, Great job! Now it’s time to move onto the next question or Woohoo—time is up! Your breakout rooms will close in 10 seconds.

Jazz hands This is our favourite. Do you agree with something someone just said? Jazz hands. Want to answer yes to something? Jazz Hands. Feel appreciative of something being shared. Jazz Hands. The simple act of holding up and wiggly your fingers helps to increase engagement, connection and promotes Macro-Listening (see below for more on that). It’s almost the opposite of being off mute—a silent way to say Yes. More obvious and fun than a nod, teach this gesture to your students and encourage them to to use it whenever they like.

USE MICRO-LISTENING AND MACRO-LISTENING

On our courses, we teach three types of listening—Micro-, Macro- and Me-Listening.

When you are engaged in Micro-Listening, your attention is focused entirely on what the person is saying verbally. For many, Micro-Listening is how they listen when they are fully engrossed in a conversation. When you are engaged in Micro-Listening, you are one hundred percent focused on the speaker and thus acutely aware of what they are saying. 

When you are Macro-Listening, your attention is cast like a net, absorbing a wide variety of sensory information like tone, cadence, energy and non-verbal communication. For many, this type of listening is only accessible when they are fully present in the moment. 

It’s extremely important to listen to the words each student says and how they say them (Micro-Listening), as well as notice their facial expressions and movements (Macro-Listening). In an online environment, you are probably only seeing from the shoulders up. This perspective works almost like a spotlight—you are closer and more focused on their facial expressions, but as a trade-off, you are losing site of the rest of their body. As a result, you may need to ramp up your Macro-Listening, and start noticing and interpreting smaller or more nuanced non-verbal communication.

You may be able to tell that a student wants to speak, for example, if they open their mouth and breath in, or shift in their seat. Spot when they find a concept difficult and ask the group, ‘What questions does everyone have?’ Just as you can read individual expressions, you can also read a collective energy in the ‘room’. If you notice students getting restless, looking down or getting glassy-eyed, it can be a sign to switch up the activity. Oscillate your listening to create a safe, engaging and welcoming environment.

Work to Manage your state

With our circumstances in flux and new challenges emerging every day, it may be difficult to enter our virtual classrooms without bringing our frustrations and fears with us. But our state is impacted by a variety of things, some of which is within our control. ‘Changing your state’ is not easy, but can be necessary, which is why it’s a muscle we encourage you to build over time. Listen to our co-founder, McKenzie, talk about how to control your internal world and how to choose your response.

There are a number of strategies to manage your state, and one of the most effective is Body Posturing. As McKenzie described, the strategy of Body Posturing includes everything from how you hold your muscles and bones, to how you breathe, to where you carry tension and how you allow your body to relax, to where you focus your attention. 

We want you to consider that there’s a body posture you embody when you’re at your best as a teacher and facilitator. This posture will help you lean into your best state of being. And when you learn to access and maintain this state, you will have more control over your experience and, therefore, your impact. 

Here’s a lasting question to keep you thinking about this topic: What if you could choose and manage your state in every moment, regardless of external factors—with such power, what would be possible? 

Want to learn more?

We are currently designing and developing a short and self-directed class all about creating engaging online learning environments. Let us know if you are interested and we’ll share more as soon as we can.

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