3 Tips for Successful Virtual Teaching

• Vicky Suarez
• Posted 8/5/22
• 0 comments

What started as an uncomfortable learning curve last spring has become the norm for many of us as we engage in virtual, remote, asynchronous, and synchronous teaching. Back in the spring, we quickly learned to connect with our students using live virtual teaching, recorded videos, or both. 

While I have mourned the loss of in-person interaction with both my students and my colleagues, I noticed some wonderful things arise during this challenging time.  

I was thrilled to be involved in the start-up of The Singing Space, a Facebook group created by Meg Tietz.  This group allows teachers to share videos of themselves singing songs that bring comfort to children through music. Without witnessing this heartfelt outpouring of videos from teachers from all over the world, I doubt I would have been brave enough to share my own videos. But I jumped right in during Spring Break, with simple videos of my favorite songs to share.  

Putting my teaching out there for others to see required vulnerability on my part. I felt comfortable picking up a ukulele and strumming along as I sang to children, but doing this for other teachers to see was a different story! The experience gave me compassion for my fellow teachers. I realized that what comes easily for me may not be the same for another teacher and vice versa.  

Making a goof in class in front of children is a daily occurrence, but when it happens on a video it becomes something else—do I let it go, or do I re-do or edit that goof out? How polished does this video teaching need to be, since other teachers–and administrators– are watching? I think many of you might be nodding your head in recognition of these feelings! As I began to make more videos for use with my students and as the time away from school stretched to nine weeks, I learned these things work for me, and maybe they’ll work for you as well, so I share them here.

1. Be engaging, but be yourself.  

I decided that what I wanted for my students was to talk to them the same way I would talk to them in class. I wanted to engage them, but I still wanted to be conversational. I choose not to add much besides just me talking to them, singing, playing an instrument, following iconic notation like a map, and moving to music… the same things I would do with them in class. 

2. Plan for students to be actively involved. 

Students love music class because it’s active and engaging, so it’s important for us to make virtual classes equally lively. In order to achieve this goal, consider asking a question and waiting as if you’re listening to the students respond. Or try, , “Raise your hand if you know this song.” Invite students to join in at home while you sing a song, ask students to stand up and act out a song, or do a folk dance. Think about how difficult it must be for students to sit in front of a screen and not interact with other children and teachers! Let’s bring activity into our students’ lives through music class.  

3. Hand-drawn and homemade! 

I have lots of technology tools available literally at my fingertips, and I marvel at all of the beautiful and polished creations I see teachers create. But in my classroom, I’ve always valued hand-drawn materials, and students often preferred their homemade look. So I’ve continued that with my teaching videos. Holding up something I’ve drawn and asking students to follow it, to track song dots or solfege or bridge notation, seems more like what I would do in class with them. It seems more intimate to me to have hand-drawn materials. It’s just another way for my personality to come through the screen to connect to my students. 

What have you learned this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please reach out if you want to share! 

This article was originally published November 30, 2020.

Contributer

Vicky Suarez

Vicky Suarez is an Elementary Music Specialist at Shepard Elementary in Plano ISD (TX), where she teaches grades K-5 and leads a choir of 4th and 5th graders. Vicky holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas…

Discover more from Vicky