On Friday 20th March 2020, most of our pupils went home, having been told that schools are now closed for an unspecified time*.
Pupils were given packs of printed resources, tasks to complete online by email or using Google Classroom, sent links to watch videos or asked to complete a quiz on Seneca.
But pupils have lost something that education has taken for granted.
Pupils have lost the comfort of their teacher’s voice.
Their teachers’ voice that delivers expert subject knowledge and kind words of encouragement every single day.
Our pupils will not hear us:
- meet and greet them as they walk into the classroom
- say their name being called as we complete the register
- ask for a choral response to answer a question or repeat a complicated word (read Teach Like A Champion by Lemov for more information)!
- give praise after they have done so well completing a retrieval task at the start their lesson (read Rosenshine’s Principles In Action by Tom Sherrington)
- model equations or teach through dual coding (see my blog following the Michaela Science conference).
Our voices are powerful.
Teachers, we must use our voices now, more than ever before.
We can do this by using simple strategies or by using the “wizardry of modern technology” (thanks Boris Johnson for this quote)!
How can we use our voices?
Expert teacher, Ofqual advisor, and friend, George Coles, initially mentioned his concerns that pupils will not hear their teachers’ voice. George then further wrote about this worry in his recent and highly recommended blog ‘Learning in Lockdown’. His worries made me think (also worry) and look around for strategies where we can use our power, our voice.
Here are a few strategies that I have used, or seen other teachers use over the past week. In no particular order:
- Microsoft Teams/Zoom lessons
- Narrated PowerPoints
- Videos
- Telephone calls home
To end, I have written about teacher workload. Whatever schools and teachers implement to support our pupils must be sustainable. We do not yet know how long our pupils’ learning will be disrupted (weeks or months) for some form of normality to resume.
1. Microsoft Teams/Zoom lessons
Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Loom are three different online platforms allowing for virtual lessons, whilst also having the capacity to share screens.
Prior to joining the teaching profession, online meetings were a daily occurrence of mine. I never thought they would be considered in schools!
For teachers, screen sharing allows teachers to share their teaching (e.g. a whiteboard or their PowerPoint screen) and also to engage with pupils.
I have noticed a difference between school policy for delivering live lessons (Synchronous vs Asynchronous learning).
Some schools are and some are not, or teachers have been told not to (government and teaching unions are to issue imminent guidance on this). I completely understand the reasons why. The benefit of Microsoft Teams/Zoom/Loom lessons means that presentations can be recorded should live lessons not be recommended in the school setting. Additionally, webcams can be shut off and microphones can be muted.
2. Narrated PowerPoints
If you use PowerPoints in your teaching, this is useful! Narrated PowerPoints (using Microsoft Office) are an effective method to engage with our pupils.
It means that teachers can talk through a PowerPoint, teaching the content, giving key messages, whilst a pupil watches it.
Pupils follow instructions for understanding a topic or even to complete a resource (e.g. a downloaded worksheet).
I narrated a PowerPoint this week and the feedback has been incredibly positive from pupils!
I followed the instructions from George below. I saved the PowerPoint and uploaded to Google Classrooms for the lesson.
Wow — the feedback from my pupils has been incredible! Pupils were so happy and appreciative.
Why?
Individual emails from pupils gave me feedback saying that they felt it was as similar as could be to a usual lesson, but also provided variety for pupils and human interaction.
Although we will not visibly see our pupils, and be able to analyse the responses to our teaching in lessons, from an emotional perspective, hearing their teacher’s voice meant so much to them! I will continue to do this (and it only took 10 minutes!).
3. Videos
Another method to use our Teacher voice is through the use of videos.
Videos can easily be filmed on a phone, uploaded to YouTube, or on Microsoft Teams/Zoom/Google Meet in live or prerecorded lessons.
I mentioned above my recent conversation with George. As soon as schools closed, George being a proactive expert teacher, implemented plans to ensure that his pupils were supported. The day after schools closed pupils were generously sent a prerecorded video that had been uploaded to YouTube. Here is the first video, you must watch it!
In the next video, found here, George’s pupils who had been in contact, gave ‘shout outs’ to classmates. We all know that positive relationships are essential in schools, and it is truly wonderful to see this continuing through videos.
Adam Boxer (Head of Science and Managing Editor of CogSciSci) recently started providing Science teaching videos on YouTube here. Adam’s presentations do not require PowerPoints, simply a mini whiteboard, pen and a visualiser.
If you do not have a visualiser to hand, teachers are using their phones held up with a clamp and stand (just like a true scientist)! Have a look at Hollie Matthew’s online teaching set-up below. I love it!
Videos allow us to deliver high quality teaching and learning, whilst also having the essential link with our pupils that emails do not provide.
4. Twitter
Initially, one might not consider Twitter to continue relationships, routines with pupils and learning with pupils. That was until I noticed Dixons McMillan Academy engaging with pupils through Twitter this week.
I am incredibly impressed, but I would not expect anything less from Dixons McMillan Academy — the reputation of high quality teaching across this multi-academy trust is to be admired!
On Twitter, each year group has a designated tag. Regular announcements and encouraging videos by teachers are placed on here. Have a look at this one for their Class of 2024:
This is fantastic. Schools can still use their consistent language (perhaps their school mission) or regular homework that is given (100% sheets are mentioned here) or a morning message!
One might also consider asking parents to use their Twitter accounts to show their children updates (especially for primary school children) to ensure children are not on their phones all the time.
I love this! Free, simple and easy to implement!
5. Telephone Calls
Sometimes, back to basic is best, regardless of the technology available. This can happen by making regular telephone calls to pupils by the same teacher (providing routine, consistency for pupils and their wellbeing).
Katharine Birbalsingh, headmistress of Michaela Community School mentions phone calls in the tweet below (Point 4):
I am positively sure that at Michaela, the strategies have been developed with the best attention to detail, with clear rotas and shared communication of pupils status for work completed.
Telephones could even be given on a child’s birthday, the most important day for all children!
Workload
I will end my blog with how important it is that we also consider teacher workload in this. The physical exhaustion of teaching is nothing compared to the mental and emotional exhaustion teachers have experienced over the past week with school closures.
When implementing any initiatives above we need to seriously consider the sustainability of them for the teaching professionals delivering.
This is especially important during this current global situation, where our every teacher’s priorities are further divided between work and providing unconditional safety for loved ones at home.
One of my favourite authors, Carl Hendrick, mentions this perfectly in this tweet:
What have I learnt?
Although there is a period of learning and adjustment, these examples make me prouder more than ever to be a teacher.
Yes, the role of schools and education has changed. We must provide a balance between learning and emotional support for our teachers, parents and pupils.
As teachers we are creatures of habit, yet we are breaking out of this to provide the unconditional support that our pupils require.
Our pupils will remember and hugely benefit from the continued support that we are giving them.
Pupils day in day out know that although we are not in the classroom together, they will hear our voices to check-in on them, deliver a knowledge-rich curriculum (preferably to review previous content) or simply call to wish them a Happy Birthday.
*To understand the reason why schools have closed is very important. Please read this report from the Imperial College Covid-19 Response Team in regards to transmission. Schools are mentioned.
