In the last 2 weeks, the way we teach has been completely flipped upside down. We are no longer going into our classrooms every day and seeing our amazing students hard at work. With all of the uncertainties, how do we remain consistent for our students? How do we keep our sanity? What can we do to enable our students to continue learning? Every teacher is asking themselves these questions, and we are all fumbling through what works best for us.
I have just finished my third week of distance learning and am feeling like I have a pretty good handle on what works for me. There are definitely aspects that need to be tweaked, but I feel like I’m providing the content the students would be learning in the classroom.
One of my big concerns in transitioning to Distance Learning was, “How am I going to teach Benchmark now?”
I decided to share my Teaching Presentations via Google Classroom so that I could continue progressing through the curriculum as planned. I also assign the charts from Benchmark in Google Classroom for the students to complete. Watch this screencast to see how. Students access the Text for Close Reading through Benchmark Advance Online. This way, they are able to read the texts that are being covered on the teaching presentations.
Although there is no substitute for in person instruction, I feel this has been the best way to continue my teaching through Distance Learning. I am able to have conversations with students via Google Classroom, if they are in need of support. I can also have visibility into the work they are doing even before they turn it in.
If you have any questions about how this works in my “classroom” please reach out. I’d love to hear from you! We’ve got this!
