How can school leaders and superintendents help with virtual learning?

There is no return to the way things used to be before COVID-19. But we can take the hardships that districts experienced and move towards a better tomorrow. We’ve rounded up a few ideas that schools can implement to help with virtual learning. Each tip below aims to increase student learning and improve job quality for teachers.

Understand old leadership methods might not work

This is a tip that needs to be applied right now. Your mindset must change moving forwards. Old leadership methods might not work for schools, teachers, and students. Lean on your experience, but use your wisdom to throw out strategies that don’t work. Understand that the game, players, and rules have changed.

Define expectations

It’s hard to do your job when you don’t know the priorities, expectations, and goals. Articulate what matters most for virtual learning. Is it about growth, scores, engagement, social/emotional well-being, or something completely different? Say it clearly and concisely to all of your teachers and staff. They need to know so they can pursue those goals.

Listen to teacher needs

Teachers have a different view than you do as a school leader. Realistically seeing problems from the ground level gives you the perfect vantage point to gain solutions that work. But how do you get the right information from that level? The key is to create a structure where you create a funnel of information. School administrators are critical to this. Make sure your administrators are talking with teachers about what is happening inside of their schools, and they report accurate conditions back to you.

Provide adequate tech training

Teachers across the country have been crying out for better tech training. (Especially seasoned and experienced teachers who previously had served as leaders in traditional classrooms) These teachers are invaluable to their colleagues and cannot serve as instructional leaders until they are well-versed in the software and apps necessary for virtual learning.

Evaluate at-home technology so that teachers know tech limitations

When the pandemic started, one in five students in the U.S. did not have access to the proper tech at home for virtual learning. Don’t make the mistake of assuming the families in your district have more access to technology than they do. You wouldn’t want to create policies that hinder your students’ learning. Once you have at-home technology data, arm your teachers with this knowledge as well. This way, all stakeholders will be armed with the right information to aid student learning.

Fill student technology gaps

Devote funds to filling technology gaps after you assess needs. Virtual learning will not be successful in your district until every student has access to appropriate technology.

Create standardization in the right places

Fill in the blanks for teachers. Don’t dictate all of their virtual learning processes, but instead create structure in a few key places. A great place to start with this is with communication and assessment– two areas virtual learning struggles with regularly. Have a standardized method for communication (Google Classroom, email, etc.) So that parents and students know a consistent way to contact every teacher.

Then create standardization for assessment. A great option for formative assessment is TeacherMade. TeacherMade makes it easy for teachers to convert their existing assignments and assessments into digital worksheets and assessments. It’s flexible and intuitive, so it’s the perfect option as a required online worksheet and test maker.

Have every teacher create a virtual classroom space

Require all teachers to make a virtual classroom space. Remote learning should not occur solely on email. Instead, require your teachers to use your district’s LMS like Google Classroom, Schoology, or Canvas. Give access to apps that integrate seamlessly into their virtual classroom space, like TeacherMade.

Model organized and effective online meetings with staff

This one does double duty for school leaders. First, you are gaining the respect of your teachers by conducting organized and effective meetings. You show teachers that you value their time by not wasting it. Second, by modeling online meetings, you show teachers tips and techniques on managing their own. Model big and small group sessions, and watch these implicit lessons display in the classroom.

Communicate success

Or rather, overcommunicate success. Share all the wins to keep morale up. It will also help to share strategies. Here are a few things to focus on when sharing your district wins:

- Promote strategies that work for building student relationships
- Show off techniques rather than test results and accolades

Why? It promotes a growth mindset, and it realigns priorities. Emphasize the hard work and approaches rather than the end result.

Support student and teacher emotional well-being to increase engagement

Burnout is happening in every school district in this country. Support students and teachers in their emotional well-being. Encourage everyone to log off for certain hours each day. This will promote a sense of work/life balance. Virtual learning brings flexibility to the learning process, but it shouldn’t eradicate boundaries. Create policies that support the emotional well-being of all people in your district. Provide resources for those that are struggling.

Give access to intuitive tech tools that work

Simplify your virtual learning classrooms by adopting tech tools that check all the boxes for your district. TeacherMade is the intuitive online worksheet maker perfect for homework, assessment, and other formative assessment. It only takes a few minutes to convert a paper or PDF assignment into a digital assignment:

- Step 1: Upload your file. The file you upload becomes the background of your new online worksheet.
- Step 2: Add fields for student responses.
- Step 3: Add answers to questions for self-scoring.
- Step 4: Send an assignment link to students or sync with your school’s LMS platform.
- Step 5: Get instant feedback and results.

Teachers will never complain about online assignments being impossible to create when they get their hands on TeacherMade!