Remote, Refresh, and Reboot for the 2020-2021 School Year

 

As I start another school year, this one will be like no other start. I am fortunate because I consider myself tech savvy and a tech expert, and I feel comfortable using technology in the classroom. For example, many of us created Bitmoji classrooms for students so that they can have a sense of  routine and "normalcy" of the classroom setting. 

With that being said, many teachers do not feel the same way and have much anxiety over it.  Whether you are teaching all remote or hybrid, having a different mindset and method teaching this year will be challenging.  But we have to remember to keep things simple and to take one day at a time. 

This summer, I attended a lot of professional development and I really tried to by proactive and equip myself with the tools I need to teach and to help others in my school too.  Everything I created was with the intentions of my school in mind. As I always do, I share my resources with my PLN and with The Suite Talk community.  

Since we will be teaching in some type of remote setting, I felt it was important to refresh my mindset and really think about lesson design, classroom management, and virtual expectations during remote teaching.  Here is what I came up with.  I hope you find them helpful.  

If you have any suggestions to add, please let me know.  It is important that we support each other and #PayitForward.  As that is my mission and motto for The Suite Talk. 

Here is the link to the presentation that has access to the templates, etc.

Lesson Design - Keep it Simple 

Teacher Guidelines and Tips 

Classroom Management during virtual learning

Digital Wellness in a Remote Learning World

 

I am not a medical professional, just a technology teacher who worked 10-12 hours a day at home at the start of the pandemic using multiple devices at one time to support teachers and help them be successful in remote learning. However, I do feel that especially during the pandemic, digital wellness is more important than ever. 

In my opinion, we need to practice more self-care acts so that we avoid fatigue, burn-out, and the negative effects of screen time. Plus, not interacting with people normally, and not socialization with friends and teachers face to face can take a negative impact on a person too.

Pay attention to your body!

Again, it is extremely important to pay attention to your body while staying connected during the day. During my time working from home, I was experiencing the following:

• headaches

• eye strain or bloodshot eyes

• back and neck pain

• shoulder pain

• discomfort in my hands

• stiffness

• fatigue

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE TELL AN ADULT, PARENT OR GUARDIAN.

Here are a few tips I found worked for me:

• Establish a routine

• Have a dedicated and comfortable workspace

• Take frequent breaks from the screen (look away from the monitor)

• Dim the brightness of your screen to reduce eye strain.

• Put your device in contrast mode so that the colors are inverted.

• Ergonomics is key! Adjust your physical workspace so that you fit better into it. reference article

• Get up from your seat and physically move around. Go outside for a quick walk or just walk around the house.

• Meditate

• Stretch, yoga, neck rolls, stretches with a band.

• Set a timer for every 10 minutes to alternate a standing and sitting position.

• Use voice typing tools when you can.

• Powered off all my devices, including my cell phone in the evening. I needed time to disconnect from the tech totally.

Performing these steps and especially exercising helped with my pain and discomfort not to mention improved my mental health.

I hope you find this information helpful.