Social media is a good news/bad news story. For instance, when reports about available vaccines are posted, we are thrilled with getting that information in a timely manner along with helpful hints to secure them. On the other hand, when reports are based on opinion rather than facts, being a discerning reader and critical viewer are critical for understanding and acceptance.

Now, take this one step further… what are educators posting and can the information be misconstrued or misunderstood? What is posted becomes one’s identity and forever associated with that person. Can something with an innocent intent be heard in a not so innocent way? (Think tone in an email!)

Especially in times of this pandemic, virtual or digital communication has been the only way to survive. In fact, not being totally prepared for the digital presence thwarted early learning opportunities. Teachers and students were thrust into each other’s living rooms, ready or not.

Students connect to their own classmates and beyond their classroom walls. They are super sleuths and can discover much about their peers, family friends, and their teachers by what is written on their social media platforms. And, we know that prospective employers check social media for any insight into their potential hires.

So while the article mentioned below is about colleges and universities, I think the lessons shared are universal.

Online posts and opinions must be carefully planned and executed; perception is reality. How one’s thoughts are perceived will follow that person indefinitely. As a result, educators have another obligation to fulfill… being responsible digital citizens because their reach is without boundaries.

“For so many students, educators not only instruct about curricula. They offer life: a living example of productive citizenship, ethical decision-making, and the continuous quest for knowledge and innovation” (EdSurge.com, “Are You a Digital Threat to Your College?). Who you are becomes crystal clear from your online messaging. As Gandhi says,

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”

And in the digital world, these live forever.

What is your advice for digital messaging?

To date, about half of American students are still learning virtually. Some teachers have received their vaccines but others are uncertain about when they will be vaccinated. Some are ready to go back now albeit with masks and socially distancing; some are holding tight. Some teachers’ unions are fighting efforts to return their members to crowded hallways; some are keeping their fingers crossed and going back. The issues to balance are unprecedented… should we or shouldn’t we go back to school? Some school administrators, city politicians, and parents feel the profound pressure to open schools, especially for those students who struggle academically and/or emotionally. Some are committed to waiting until some semblance of normalcy can return. But, when will that happen? Everyone wants the school community to be safe... we just all want to know when we can expect that to happen.

Schools will safely re-open eventually. I wish that were the only issue… ensuring that the school community is vaccinated against this deadly disease. That’s only one part of the equation. We are, thankfully, moving towards vaccinating everyone who wants a vaccine. And, vaccines for our teenagers are on the horizon as well.

What about our new learnings? What have we learned about our leaders, e.g., school, societal, political, religious, etc., and their commitment to change and the preparation needed to ensure that learning takes place regardless of the venue? Where is our guarantee that, “… model of education is the one that will best serve both our children and young people, as well as the educators who work with them: an education system that focuses on learning culture and nurturing of individual skills, knowledge, talents, interests and dispositions rather than being a factory standardized knowledge” (Jim Knight, Educate for Change, LinkedIn.com). And he continues, “… we need to rethink how we educate and ‘grow’ our children, especially as we come through and beyond Covid-19.”

We know there will be some learning loss so how will we address that? Do we start the year with the assumption that our students won't know "that" and immediately ignore what they have learned? Or, will we plan to start the year on the grade level the year reflects and then differentiate our work to address the multiple skill levels our students will demonstrate?

How will we be prepared for the future?

Where will you be?

In a recent zoom conversation with three coaches, I asked if their coaching differed because their content areas differed. They actually laughed! Not because of the question, but because that was the topic of their weekly zoom coach networking meeting. They started their meeting with the assumption that each of them: ELA, math, and STEM, had a different set of parameters by which to approach their teaching colleagues when they were involved in coaching interactions.

What they discovered was that they each had similar successes and challenges in their coaching interactions regardless of the content areas. What did have an impact, however, was their coaching schedules and whether they were in-person, remote, or hybrid environment. It wasn’t the content that determined their approach; it was the environment that determined how they initiated their coaching sessions with their teaching colleagues and how they provided ongoing support to them.

They recognized that approaching their colleagues who were teaching in a virtual environment meant that they had to sometimes shift the conversation to the tool first and then the conversation around using the tool. In fact, that first conversation was the “before the before” session. They asked their colleagues to send them emails or texts with the kinds of tools they thought they would like to use. Then, the coaches prepared themselves by investigating the tools and their applications, i.e., the alignment of when those tools would be effective for specific instructional delivery. After that preparation, the coaches engaged in the “before” conversations about the goals for the lesson, which tools would make sense to use to accomplish those goals, appropriate resources, and how they would assess for learning and understanding. The coaches implemented this approach regardless of the content areas of the supported teachers and were deliberate in scheduling the "after" so that they could reflect together even though they couldn't always visit the virtual classroom in the "during."

All three coaches agreed that teachers having predictable lessons and assignments for their students but varying their instructional delivery according to the environment and student needs was critical for successful engagement and student participation. Consistent teacher preparation, supported by the coaches, paved the way for teacher growth and ultimately student growth in either a remote, in-person, or hybrid environment.

As a coach, what influences your approach to the collaborative conversations with your teaching colleagues?

I recently read a blog from Take It Personel-ly, (takeitpersonelly.com) that shared three ways to really get to know employees better in the workplace. In reading it, I noticed how applicable these three ways are to the classroom environment. It’s appropriate now because there is much talk around personalizing the classroom experience with in-person learning and/or hybrid learning. Becoming acquainted with each other is an engagement strategy that works.

See what you think:

1)      Bucket List Guessing… 10 things employees write down as items on their bucket lists. Those lists are sealed and at a subsequent meeting, unseal the lists and play a guessing game about whose list was read. I definitely think this can be done in a virtual or face to face classroom. The game can continue with different things that reveal something about each student.

2)      Virtual Escape Room…this is one way to identify areas of strength and areas of need. This would be a fun way to get students to work together in teams in an online environment. This can be extended to building bridges which, of course, becomes a unity builder literally as well as figuratively. Once in-person learning has resumed, the team building of something creative can continue very effectively.

3)      Hosting a Talent Show…an online talent show for students can be such fun. Students can showcase their musical or dance talent; they can create a fashion show; or if they are into building with Legos, they can share a treasured Lego structure they created.

I would actually add a fourth fun activity… what about a charades game where students could act out a movie or television show they loved, a movie they recently saw, or the title of a favorite song. There are so many ways to engage students virtually. I would ask students for some ideas, too. They are creative in ways we need to encourage!

What are some of your ideas for getting to know each other better?

 “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem” (Eldridge Cleaver). This has so many applications in today’s world.

A recent blog from philosiblog.com goes further to explain the meaning and indicates that a longer African Proverb quoted the idea in this way, “There is no more neutrality in the world. You either have to be part of the solution, or you’re going to be part of the problem.” One is either in the “solution camp” or the “problem camp.” Where do you sit?

In my January TPIIC Coaching Tip of the Month (here), I mentioned that we need to invest in education (social, emotional, financial, etc.) and turn our words into action. We need to do something, but not just anything. We need to be deliberate in our thinking, planning, and acceptance of things that we consider normal. We need to identify the problems; discuss ideas to address the issues; plan for the “what ifs”; and start taking action. We need to start small with a group of open-minded individuals who understand the importance of multiple perspectives and collective problem-solving. Tap into the human capacities of your teaching colleagues.

If you are a former instructional coach and have returned to the classroom during this pandemic, open your virtual or hybrid door and continue to foster collaboration and shared learning experiences. Take a step; evolve into the best facilitator/presenter/teacher you can be; learn from your past experiences, both positive and negative; embrace change and do it with compassion and reflection. Be that non-evaluative colleague and continue to move practice forward regardless of where that practice occurs. Be an active participant in your learning and the learning of your colleagues. Be part of the solution to ensure that your students are not underserved.

In these times of remote, virtual, and/or hybrid learning, I wonder about the level of understanding connecting clear expectations and effective feedback. It may sound odd to you but I don’t think providing clear expectations means the same to everyone and then once the expectations are shared, what is the follow up? How do I know that what I said is understood in ways that make the outcomes realistic? Then, am I providing feedback that is linked to the expectations or are there some surprises there?

I actually don’t think this is endemic to just this pandemic panic; I believe that thinking about and delivering clear expectations and providing appropriate feedback should be the norm for all schools, all the time.

Edutopia recently published a piece on the topic of assessment and clear learning targets. In the article, John Hattie’s Visible Learning is referenced: “… self-assessment, feedback, and student clarity yield substantial growth in student learning.” We are reminded that understanding the expectations and asking students to reflect on their learning moves practice forward. Being able to provide specific, timely, descriptive, and nonjudgmental feedback has to be linked to the expectations. If students are not clear on what is expected, the outcomes will reflect their misunderstandings and perhaps the vagueness of the task. The directions may be clear in a teacher’s head but if it is not communicated appropriately and followed up to maintain clarity, the outcomes will not be aligned to the expectations. Remember, “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant” (Alan Greenspan).

So, then what happens? Misunderstanding, misinformation, misrepresentation, and probably lots of frustration because what you thought you said was not understood in the way you wanted it to happen. And, of course, the outcomes are not what you expected.

Here are three helpful hints for continuous implementation suggested in the Edutopia article: 1) Rubrics don’t tell the story so don’t rely just on them; share exemplars instead to model the expectations; 2) Ask clarifying questions so you’ll know if the expectations were understood and follow up with interval questioning so you can see in real time what needs more explaining; and 3) model and provide opportunities for students to give and get feedback which can be analyzed in real time so that the link between expectations and feedback makes sense. 

How do you ensure that your expectations are understood as they were meant to be?

 “I failed over and over again. But every time I got myself back up, and I dusted myself off, and I thought, ‘Okay, what do I need to change so that I can become better?’ So really, if you’re not willing to fail, you’re actually not willing to succeed. Because failure is just a part of the process of getting to success and facing those fears” says Siri Lindley, 2x World Champion triathlete (RealLeaders, Nov 1, 2020).

Wise words – not only for athletes but for all of us, especially in these challenging times.

No one is perfect. Pivoting back and forth from in-person to virtual and back again may make one feel like a ping pong ball, never really knowing what the next day may bring until the day is here. And, sometimes we don’t even know what will happen on a particular day because our times are so uncertain. And, yes, we will make mistakes as we move forward.

There is one thing, however, that needs to remain steadfast, confident, and authentic. That’s the support instructional coaches offer to teachers and other teacher leaders. We may not know if schools will re-open with in-person or remote instruction, but we do know that teachers still need to meet their students “where they are” and provide meaningful ways to engage in the learning process. And, if one or two engagement strategies are not working, “pivot” and try another one or two until a match is made. Be detectives and find the ones that work!

Teachers and students are trying their best to be effective stewards of the learning process. Some “classes” run more smoothly than others; some days are better than others. This happens in both remote and face to face environments. Teachers still have fears and anxieties about enabling their students to reach their fullest potential. But sometimes, those fears cause teachers to focus on things for which they have no control. This is especially true now, e.g., my students have sporadic internet connections, or my students don’t want their cameras activated because of their physical environment. These are things that teachers cannot control; they are worrisome, for sure, but the show must go on. Remember, creativity is the mother of invention (Poem on Life, Sha Azam Siddiqui). Collaborate with your teaching colleagues and collectively problem-solve around these issues of concern.

The goal is not to ignore that which can sideline our intentions; our goal is to focus on the effort, attitude, and authenticity to engage with students and help them learn. Be mindful of what we want students to learn, adjust our instructional practices so we can address their needs, and recognize that one size fits one! (We really don’t have a manual for this, do we?)

How are you staying “in the moment”?