Consider this scenario: You have just 45 minutes to keep a class of fifth graders engaged with the teaching objective for a lesson on Zoom. Now, think about how a quick, interactive debate on vegetarian food favourites—Super-Links versus Big Franks—could involve the students and promote engagement, even if it’s a bit off-topic! It’s not your typical lesson, but it could be rewarding!
I’ve learned that engagement is one of the most fundamental aspects of learning in an online setting. Vying for the attention of students through a computer screen has been a delightful and rewarding challenge. Holding the attention of 10-year-olds while delivering meaningful lessons each week is no small feat. Hopefully, you can take away something valuable from my four years of online teaching that will help make your lessons more personable!
March Madness and Free Ice Cream
My husband grew up in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and spent many years planning his NCAA March Madness bracket, predicting the outcomes of national collegiate basketball games in the hopes of winning a trip to the ice cream shop from his uncle. When we started dating, I joined in, hoping to win free ice cream too!
Inspired by this, I introduced a bracket-style tournament in my middle school math classes as a fun break from numbers. It’s been rewarding, sparking lively conversations and creating a comfortable online environment for my students.
The takeaway: Lean into what you enjoy! I loved filling out brackets, so I shared that joy with my students.
Cue the Round, Saucer Eyes
Watch for when your students’ eyes are popping out of their sockets—that’s where you find the secret sauce!
At the start of my classes, I give students time to share with each other, whether it’s about a prayer request, something they’re thankful for, a recent enjoyment, or even a silly prompt like, “If I could be any type of dog for a day, what would I be, and what would I do?”
During this precious and sacred sharing time, I key in on their interests and use that as inspiration for my next lessons. For instance, sensing their strong feelings about the weather (some of my students live on the east coast of Canada, so during hurricane season, the weather reports are endless!), I spent a few weeks honing their debate skills on winter versus summer weather, focusing on public speaking, constructing arguments, and listening to each other.
The takeaway: Lean into what they enjoy! It might require some personal research, but students will sense your effort, and the excitement will likely be reciprocated.
The Screen’s Not the Limit… the Sky Is!
What do poetry cafés with a Zoom background of a brick wall and fairy lights with beret filters and everyone’s own cookie snack have in common with a reader’s theater on the rock cycle? Not much! But these are ideas I’ve tried in my lessons, despite initial hesitation. Typically reserved for a brick-and-mortar classroom, I now challenge myself to adapt these activities for online learning.
Do we need to spend a class period making costumes together? Maybe! Or maybe not. But the payoff is always worth it.
The takeaway: Embrace the challenge! If you hear the little voice saying, “I can’t,” see it as an opportunity to teach outside your comfort zone. The unknown is scary, but playing it safe is even scarier! Remember the words of American painter Erin Hanson: “There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, and you ask, ‘What if I fall?’ Oh but my darling, what if you fly?”
Dave Burgess is the author of a sweet book called, Teach Like a Pirate, and I have this line highlighted: “To keep your passion for teaching alive, find as many ways as possible to incorporate your personal passions into your work.”
So here’s my final takeaway: Discover what holds personal meaning and interest for you, then use that to strengthen your connection with students during lessons. It’s this personal touch that leaves a meaningful mark.
And just a fun note to conclude: Big Franks are clearly the superior choice over Super-Links.
Author
Jennica Santomin-Wixwat
Jennica, BEd specializing in English, teaches elementary at West Coast Adventist School in British Columbia, Canada. She also teaches high school English at Fraser Valley Adventist Academy. She is in her fourth year of teaching and finds that the best parts of teaching are the relationships she forms with her students and fellow educators.