Online Teaching Essentials

Are you teaching online this year? After having taught online last May-June, we are back at it again this week! Launching 2021 virtual style! The only difference this time… I am prepared with my online teaching essentials.

1. Quiet (and comfortable) space

This may seem a little obvious, but a quiet and comfy spot for you to teach is a MUST!

I have a cozy pink armchair and a fluffly blanket for my lap pulled up to an IKEA collapsable table with my lamp, laptop, iPad and notebooks. It is the perfect little spot for me to teach my kiddos!

2. Zoom

I am a HUGE fan of Zoom! My School Board was also very fortunate to register for the free Zoom services during the beginning of the pandemic.

It is super user friendly for the littles and bigs alike. My students can logon from any device and are able to independently navigate the app during our meetings.

All you need is a device with a camera and a microphone. My go-to for teaching is my Macbook Air.

Google Meet is another great option, however students need a gmail to logon and our Board only allows student email activation as of Grade 3. (I teach 2nd Grade.)

3. Seesaw

Talk about an ONLINE TEACHING ESSENTIAL!

Seesaw is an absolute MUST in my books! I love how user friendly it is and how many functions it has!

I used Seesaw both in the classroom and online. It allows me to easily assign work and allow students to share pictures and activities with me. It is the perfect student engagement tool that keeps my kiddos inspire, my families connected and saves me a TON of time!

My school has a Seesaw for Schools account allowing you to have access to more functions. If your school can afford it ($7CAD/student), I would absolutely recommend this! But I have also used the regular Seesaw account and it was still great!

4. Online Expectations

Having clear expectations for your students is so important. I like to spend a good amount of time going over expectations with my students. I usually make a chart as a class on the first day and then present a poster the following day. Having the students participate will help them feel more responsible.

Here are two of my favourite posters I made for my own classroom:

5. Visual Online Icons

Having visual cues for your students will save you a ton of time while teaching online! They make online learning a breeze and help give students a visual reminder without stopping your lesson. while keeping your students engaged in the lesson. I love using my Zoom Meeting Icons with my kiddos. They are super helpful!

Online learning can be a challenge, especially for our students as they are trying to navigate a new platform. Visual online icons help clarify your instruction and help your students locate the icons you want them to use.