Amplifying and Celebrating Every Teacher's Voice

 "We rise by lifting others." 

This quote attributed to Robert Ingersoll reminds me that the best leaders know how to empower others to be leaders themselves. We are stronger when we use our strengths to improve a school, organization, or community. One of my goals this school year is to find new ways to amplify and spotlight my colleagues. I teach in a building that is incredibly high achieving and equally humble. From academics to athletics, teachers are leading students to success. While these successes seem easily achieved, they come from hard work, hours of overtime, and a constant desire to learn/grow from our teachers. I am in awe of my colleagues and want to find ways to empower them and make them feel as deeply appreciated as they deserve to feel. I am in awe of the teaching and learning I am surrounded by each day and am excited to see that continue to grow in 2023. 

So how do we showcase the humblest of teachers? Give them a platform. 

This year, with the help of my fantastic assistant principal, I have encouraged a sit-and-snack series that features different teachers who typically do not volunteer or want to be in the limelight. Using blended learning as the core of the six topics that will occur throughout the school year, I have worked with division leaders to find people to feature and encourage them to take on the leadership roles they deserve to experience. So far, we have held three of the six sessions and will continue them next semester. We have covered the following:

• Blended Learning within the Walls

• Station Rotation

• Choice Grids and Playlists

We will continue to explore facets of blended learning with:

• Formative Assessments

• Side-By-Side Grading

• The Flipped Classroom 

  

Teachers from the world language, science, social science, and English departments have shared out strategies and ideas that work in their classrooms. Next semester, we will feature special education, math, English, and social science again. Having different departments share reminds us that impactful instructional strategies can work in any discipline. We can inspire and share regardless of the disciplines we teach. 

After our station rotation sit-and-snack, I had three teachers already trying the strategy in their classrooms the next day. From English discussions about To Kill a Mockingbird to Intro to Business, learning about investments, teachers moved desks, grouped kids up, and stole my number card holders to denote the station numbers. (Note: I prefer the tall ones often seen at weddings. Amazon has a ton of choices!). The application of the strategies and ideas shared at each of the first three sit-and-snacks has been immediate and interdisciplinary, which is exciting to see. 

In addition to our sit-and-snack series, I have found quieter ways to celebrate people. 

Writing cards is one of my favorite pastimes. People often chuckle and tell me that these cards (and often little gifts of appreciation) are unnecessary, but I beg to differ. The energy and gratitude that goes into a card or token of appreciation carry with a person. It gives them the energy and drive to keep going forward. In a time when burnout and anxiety are rampant, these small acts put good into the world and can build a culture of kindness, compassion, and care. 

Celebrate on a larger platform.

The final way I have started to give a platform to others is through a podcast that my friend Cori and I started this semester. Teach in Ten is a podcast that amplifies our district's great teachers and instructional strategies (Listen to our pilot and episode one). So far, we have interviewed five individuals from all of the buildings in the district. Using this experience to connect and communicate with others, we want to continue celebrating great teaching while encouraging others to continue to share their excellent work. 

Amplifying teachers' voices can have several benefits. We hope this podcast can help create community among colleagues across a larger suburban district. Teachers often become silos, focused on our classrooms and to-do lists. Short messages and sharing sessions can bring people together, spark conversation, and remind us how vital collaboration is. It's all in the timing and the way the message is presented. 

By sharing their stories and insights, we can showcase their excellent work and give others a platform to keep those conversations going. Sometimes people need a little extra encouragement to get started in that sharing. We become better when we lift up and celebrate others. I cannot wait to find new ways to amplify and celebrate my colleagues in 2023. 

Spreading Coaching Cheer at the End of the Semester

I  am going on five years of being an instructional coach. During that time, educational technology significantly shifted. Because of the pandemic, teachers adopted new technologies and teaching approaches out of necessity. Many of these teachers might not have ever considered making shifts in their practices but did so to reach students in the room and on Zoom. Also, my district adopted a new learning management system during this time. While this adoption was initially going to be a slow roll-out, COVID changed our plan overnight. 

I spent the final day of the semester sitting by a "roaring fire." In the large faculty commons area, I sat all nestled with cheer in hopes that my colleagues' gradebooks and Canvas close-outs would soon smoothly appear. I projected the fire (and wished the office was warmer) and invited colleagues to stop by to finalize whatever they still had to do. Luckily, I was given only a few challenging problems to solve. What I enjoyed most was chatting with colleagues as they walked by, laughing with division leaders as we tried to tie up the semester with a neat bow, and celebrating the fantastic work of my friends. 

So how do we get to an ending like the one I had for fall 2022? Build strong relationships. 

1. To build relationships,  instructional coaches must be available. 

We all have full plates. This year, our students' needs and our to-do lists have pulled us in many directions. Instructional coaches must appear available regardless of how long the to-do list is. Whether that be hosting drop-in times, walking through the halls at the right moment, or attending meetings - coaches need to be seen and accessible. Visibility promotes trust and more engagement, which ultimately increases the usefulness of any coach. 

2. In addition to availability, communication can build trust. 

Good communication is key to building strong relationships. Coaches should be clear and concise in their communication and listen actively to the needs and concerns of teachers. This semester, I have often reflected on when to communicate and what to share. 

Teachers need to be ready and receptive to hearing certain messages. For example, around Thanksgiving, teachers want to start thinking about wrapping up the semester. One-pagers about summative assessments and formative reviews are more powerful in November than they are in mid-September. 

Bulleted lists, tl;dr statements, and catching one-minute videos are far more palatable than two-page emails, too. 

3. Along with short messages carefully timed, effective coaches anticipate problems or challenges before they arrive.

Recognizing that teachers should check their grade syncing from the LMS to are gradebook of record is critical in December. Publishing short reminders and helpful tips two weeks BEFORE the end of the semester made the last day before the break a whole lot calmer and brighter. Sending out information about a vital tech update or instructional strategy, knowing that significant summatives are looming, can encourage teachers to use resources. Leaning into recency bias can help teachers to use tips at the right time! 

4. Regardless of the message or strategy being shared, instructional coaches know how to make every teacher feel seen, valued, and celebrated. 

People want to feel heard and valued. Sometimes the best coaching sessions start with casual conversations about a person's day or even a little venting, which opens the door to what is being shared. When people feel safe sharing their feelings, they are far more likely to want to collaborate and connect professionally. 

The biggest lesson I've learned as an instructional coach, which I was reminded of on the final day of the semester, is that a good coach recognizes every person's strength and celebrates her colleagues. Troubleshooting a tech tool, brainstorming a new teaching strategy, and preparing for a new semester are all secondary to our shared connections. Laughter, sharing stories, and reflecting together are far more important and forge relationships that create a robust and collaborative school community.

Sitting around a digital fire with friends is the best way to end the semester. 

It's All in the Timing

Over the last year and a half, I hit the snooze button on my writing. Navigating The pandemic and pursuing another master's degree have fried my creative juices. From assisting my district in adopting a new LMS to navigating parenting three young children (the youngest immunocompromised), life's been more difficult than I'd like. We have all faced unique challenges, but I'm beginning to see the light. I'm ready to use my voice and write.

The greatest lesson I have learned these past few years is the importance of timing. As an instructional coach, I need to anticipate the needs of my colleagues. Educational beats ebb and flow. The cadence of a semester brings unique challenges and patterns that have teachers seeking specific instructional or tech-based resources. At certain points in the semester, teachers need engagement strategies and assessment ideas, or they might just be looking for ideas on implementing a new tech tool. 

Over the last few months, I've spent much time reflecting on the best time and day to send an all-staff email or making myself visible so that I am accessible to my colleagues, especially during the higher-stress seasons of the semester. Like the Genie from Aladdin, I want to be ready to appear at a moment's notice, ready to ask, "(Poof) What do you need?" The more accessible I am, the more trust I garner from my peers. Maintaining that trust and fostering strong relationships across the building has helped me continue supporting and navigating the changing landscape of learning during a pandemic.

So, it's all in the timing? How can instructional leaders master the art of timing?

Utilize backward planning.

Always start with the end goals. Once those benchmarks are established, working backward through the process helps to create more accurate outcomes, inspire impactful lesson plans, and can provide greater insight into what students (or, in the case of an instructional leader -- teachers) need. As I set my own classroom goals this year, I continued asking myself, "What skills do I hope my students will take with them after my class? How do I encourage them to reach that point?" These questions forced me to think about the summatives and end products, which has allowed me to create opportunities to practice skills more frequently and directly. For example -- in my semester-long speech class, I wanted students to speak more. Students complete mini-group challenges to practice the interpersonal skills they need for their unit summatives more often and can identify the why behind their actions and speech development. 

(For more on backward planning, check out this amazing blog post by Jennifer Gonzalez).

Set small daily goals.

I create a to-do list every morning (or even the night before). These to-do lists give me energy and keep me focused on what needs to be accomplished and in what order. This short process of writing out and reflecting on tasks has helped me increase productivity and effectiveness. Forgetting an important task is easy, especially in a busy environment. Taking two minutes to plan or organize the day has been incredibly beneficial and rewarding. I love using a good pen and crossing off items on the to-do list. Remember to work ahead when possible. Crossing off one little task that could be put off until today saves exponential time the next day. 

Study instructional strategies and find inspiration.

As an instructional coach, I have focused on what theme I wanted to share with colleagues. We are still recovering from the pandemic. By the end of this school year, I hope teachers can say that they understand how they can use specific skills and strategies they used during the pandemic to enhance their classrooms. As a result, I worked with the administration at my school to encourage a focus on instructional strategies (rather than tech tools) to help teachers see how they might blend in new ways to engage their students using various tools and methods. Halfway through the year, I am excited to see that there's been momentum for using stations, including student choice, and exploring different approaches to learning. 

Reading current literature and learning from peers on social media platforms or at conferences (even digital ones) has been incredibly growing and powerful. We always have something to learn and can find inspiration for incredible people near and far! 

Finally, focus on relationships. Whatever pressing task is consuming you, remember that it can wait.

At the heart of a successful school are strong relationships. Tasks can almost always wait. No matter what, I always have time for a friend (or a student). My colleagues are so important to me. As an instructional coach, I remind myself that whatever tech glitch or concern a teacher has at any given moment, that issue is everything to them. By stopping what I am doing for just a moment, I can add relief to their day. I am building trust, and more importantly, I am making a statement about what matters most. When teachers (or students) feel heard, validated, and supported, their whole world can change instantly. And that change, that change is culture-building and life-giving. 

Time keeps on ticking, but we can make them matter even more.

Digital and On-Demand PD: Creating New Opportunities for Learning

The pandemic gave rise to a professional development shift. Instead of having large conferences in which people traveled, many educator conferences moved to an online format. Bringing people together from around the world without traveling has allowed teachers to explore the world of educational technology and instructional strategies in a new way - from the convenience of their own homes. While I am excited to get back to convention center hopping in the future, I have loved the flexibility digital conferences have offered. This past year, I have attended conferences in places like Texas and Minnesota, places that I would never travel to just for professional learning because of cost and time. The on-demand nature created by this modality of learning has expanded my knowledge in the areas of educational technology, blended learning, and instructional strategies while challenging me to rethink adult learning and professional development structure altogether. So what's been learned? 

Always be prepared to adapt. 

In March 2020, I was supposed to attend the Midwest Google Summit in Wisconsin. Having attended that conference before, I knew it was worth the 90-minute drive and would be a collaborative trip for my fellow instructional coaches. This conference was canceled right around the initial shutdown of the pandemic, but quickly mini-conferences and related information began to fill my inbox. Many educators innovated and found creative ways to replicate or recreate that conference experience using Zoom, Google Meet, and other digital platforms to share live and recorded information. Throughout the next school year, my instructional coach friends and I even attended a few together, creating a backchannel to connect, reflect, and digitally hop to the best "room" or livestream going at the time. Through these experiences, we learned flexibility both as attendees who sometimes had to mute our cameras to get work done while listening into a session and as presenters who sometimes had to record our presentations to no audiences to be later accessed by the information educators on-demand. This test of flexibility reminded us of the importance of our content and the connections we make to others - even if it is an afterthought or reaction posted later on social media. 

Two times speed really can save a significant amount of time. 

My husband has listened to podcasts on two-times speed for some time. While chasing three small children around, it has been the only way for him to listen to a few of his favorite podcasts. Time is precious. I had always scoffed at this practice until I was forced to teach Intro to Communication in a remote format. With low-bandwidths and computers without cameras, the only way to grade speeches was having students prerecord them and upload them to Flipgrid. Watching five sections of speech videos (three at the high school and two at the community college) is time-consuming, but cutting that time in half could allow me to efficiently give important and specific feedback to my students that they deserved. Suddenly, I noticed that my habit of listening to YouTube videos, podcasts, and student work at a normal speed felt unnatural. The same feeling extended to conferences, particularly my favorite conference of the year - IDEACon. 

This past year, IDEACon (the Illinois Digital Educators Association Annual Conference) joined forces with TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) to deliver a joint digital conference. This conference meant that I had twice the on-demand videos to choose from, and I wasn't limited to four timeslots. I could essentially watch all the videos I wanted and decided when I wanted to press play. I selected pace and place, which allowed me to watch over twenty sessions over a few weeks instead of only seeing a handful of sessions in a single day. The digital conference format made blended learning possible in the professional development world. It allowed me to learn from a broader group of educators I might not have been fortunate to encounter in a more traditional format. Using the two-times speed also allowed me to rewatch and find key tidbits of information from my favorite presentations, too. 

Participate in supplemental or "slow chats" to continue the connections beyond the PD experience. 

An on-demand presentation I attended earlier in the pandemic included a hashtag for a supplemental or "slow chat" This hashtag was promoted throughout the session and was accompanied by questions that encouraged attendees to share and reflect. This slow chat creates a space where participants could interact with the presenters and the other attendees. This interaction and opportunity to engage with others is powerful. The biggest drawback that I see with online and asynchronous PD is missing the conversations with others. Utilizing social media to converse and connect makes learning extend beyond the single experience. With my latest PD session, Blended and Beyond, I am using the hashtag to engage with my attendees of an asynchronous conference. If you've something to share about blended learning, use the hashtag - #blendedandbeyond21. I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Register for the WeVideo Creator Community Summit

Being able to attend multiple conferences and PD experience on a broader level opens people's eyes to different teaching styles. 

Attending different conferences throughout the past year and more has exposed me to different learning styles and philosophies that I would not have seen had I only had access to face-to-face professional development. Other school districts and regions of the country have unique focuses that have opened my eyes to what teaching could look like if I shifted my thinking. In my experience, I have seen new tech tools, learning management systems, and even approaches to instruction within a traditional classroom. Even the unique style of a presenter can lead to a new insight or nugget of knowledge to apply to our classrooms. 

There's always something new to learn.

Whether it is simply a presentation strategy, a new tool, or a complete overhaul of your teaching philosophy, there is always something new to learn. As teachers, our profession is always evolving, and our students are ever-changing. To meet their needs, we need to continue to grow ourselves. Professional development on a digital platform opens new doors and makes learning more accessible. This format also allows for more opportunities that are consumed on our schedules and time frame. Without leaving our couches, we can learn from the best and brightest educators. In turn, we can sign up to share our insights by creating our own videos and resources to share. We are a community, and we cannot learn in a vacuum. While I am excited to return to face-to-face learning and seeing my edu-friends in person, I am grateful for the subset of professional learning that has been born out of the pandemic. Let the learning continue!

Here are a few links to some of my favorite edtech companies that offer PD:

• Flipgrid Ambassador
• Google Certified Educator
• WeVideo Professional Learning
• Pear Deck Training
• EdPuzzle Online PD
• Adobe Creative Educator Program
• Wakelet Ambassador

Empowering and Engaging: The Professional Development Strategies that Teachers Deserve

Teaching through Zoom has its challenges, but we have adapted and changed during the past few months to a new learning modality. Within this new teaching environment, I have learned to think about education as more of an experience than a single segment of time. That experience can extend well beyond a single 45-minute period and has infinite possibilities for pace and space. While having several choices can feel daunting or overwhelming, I also believe that this flexibility is empowering and can lead to the innovation that we have been reaching for in our education system for the past several years.  

My school district is about to switch from a remote block schedule to a hybrid nine-period day, with students coming two to three days a week. Approximately 40% of students will be in the building on a given day. Teachers are shifting from 75-minutes blocks every other day to 40 minute periods daily with three groups of students either in the classroom or remote. During passing periods, teachers will be responsible for wiping down desks, setting up technology, tracking where students sit and preparing to connect with those three groups of students. Again, these factors are overwhelming, but teachers are resilient. This impossible list will somehow get done.

 

As we prepare for this significant shift in a week, I have an opportunity to lead three different professional development sessions on multiple occasions at various times throughout the week. Working with my vice principal, we crafted a schedule to give teachers optional professional development topics that will empower them to make the impossible possible. Those times are staggered with the hope that everyone will have the opportunity to attend at least one session. By reflecting on how best to deliver professional development and ease my colleagues' and friends' anxieties, I have drawn a few conclusions about the future of professional development and how to inspire teachers who, in turn, inspire their students. 

Keep sessions small. 

When possible, keep professional development more intimate. When there are large numbers of participants, people are less likely to speak up. It is easy to get lost or hide in a crowd. It is easy to start checking emails, grading, or surfing the web. When there are fewer people, there are more opportunities to get involved, share, and ask questions. Once the questions start rolling with one person, the metaphorical ball is in play. More questions can be asked, and again, with a small group, the professional development leader will have more time to answer questions in depth. Creating a safe and open environment makes everyone feel like they are seen and have a voice. 

Consider the people in the audience ahead of the session. 

A common misnomer about public speaking is that the speaker is the most important person in the room. In fact, it is the opposite. The people who matter most are the audience members - the ones in which who are receiving the intended message. If a speaker wants to be successful, they should encode their message to most effectively meet the audience's needs and expectations. That process starts with tailoring the message to who is in the room. As an instructional coach who works in a high school, my adult audience is composed of content area teachers who seek instructional strategies that relate to their disciplines. How a math teacher approaches instruction differs significantly from an English teacher or a physical education teacher. The examples that I provide colleagues based on their fields can draw them back into the conversation and imagine how a specific instructional approach or tech tool might enhance their students' classroom experience. As a speaker, my message may change to meet my audience's needs at each session - just like my instructional approach varies with my students each year. Again, finding ways to make your audience seem seen and validated through personalizing the message goes a long way with audience engagement. 

Make learning active. 

When we craft lessons for students, we often design lessons that ask students to be active. Professional development should take the same approach. When teachers can experience tech tools and instructional strategies from the student perspective, they will be far more likely to use them in the classroom. If teachers see that an approach works, they will incorporate it. Making learning active is also another way to engage educators. We are busy, we are tired, and if we are not drawn in, we won't listen - or we will check our email. Active learning leads to powerful results both with our students and when working with our peers.  

Differentiate strategies and create challenges for more advanced users. 

I tend to pack a lot into a short amount of time. While I may move too fast for some, that is my style, and I always admit that upfront. Teachers know that they will get a mental workout with me. Still, I find ways to level my training and differentiate with intention. In my slides, I embed resources and videos that can help newer users. I have started making gifs to demonstrate processes and model strategies to help visual learners, and I now have several slides with stopping points for questions in the beginning, middle, and end of my presentations. Also, I find time for teachers to play and experience, allowing them to imagine how they might use the strategy or tool. Teachers who are more advanced tech users can run with that strategy while I am answering more specific questions with teachers that may need more support. My other ploy for moving fast and leveling all teachers' experiences encourages them to follow-up with me. I want to work one-on-one with teachers so that I can move at their pace and meet them at their skill level. The best way to promote future collaboration and individual meetings is to allow teachers to dream up the possibilities during the session. Following up with handwritten cards and small prizes (mostly stickers or pencils) helps re-engage and reminds them to book a future appointment with me. 

Start with the takeaways. 

This past week, I had a revelation. At the end of my sessions, I typically create a slide with statements or ideas that I hope my colleagues take with them as they walk out the door - typically with a homemade cookie or sticker (pre-COVID). Why would I end with those takeaways when I could use those statements as a framework for our entire professional development conversation. When I say takeaways, I am not talking about objectives or learning targets. I am not referring to the use of educational buzzwords or theory-specific goals. I am addressing the "Look, dudes, this is what I actually mean" or the "Honestly, friends, this is what I truly hope you apply in your classrooms" statements. Instead of ending with these important ideas, I started with them, and it was another way to get the questions flowing and kept the conversation more charged. Professional development, like any speaking situation, is not about the speaker. It is about the audience. If the audience is actively participating and critically thinking, then the conversation is work. 

Teachers are rock stars who make the impossible possible every day. They DESERVE all the praise and love in the world - even though they often don’t receive it. My colleagues deserve quality instructional and technology support, and I am humbled daily by the notion that I get to partner with them and provide that love and (instructional and emotional) support. Bring on this next phase of instruction. No matter the outcome, we are in this together.  

Falling Forward: Getting Ready for the Fall Semester

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it" - Maya Angelou. 

Now that we have had time to step away from the computer screens and quarantine teaching, it's time to reflect on what worked and what did not. While headlines emphatically declare that remote learning did not work in various cases, I believe what we learned has only made us stronger. While some learning targets were not achieved March through May to level that several teachers would have hoped, teachers and students had time to focus on lessons of empathy, equity, and engagement. We found time to reevaluate social-emotional learning. We discovered gaps in resources and content that paved the way for a more equitable school system, and we identified what did not work in terms of engagement. Our shortcomings will only lead to a more successful fall semester - no matter what teaching format we embrace. 

Remember, we had less than a day to prepare for a complete paradigm shift in education. We walked out of school on a Friday, believing we would be back together on Monday, preparing and planning to deliver instructions, and those Monday meetings never came. Teachers scrambled, recreated, and redefined what their classrooms looked like. Teachers focused on their relationships with students and fostering engagement. So what lessons can we glean from the successes and the shortcomings of this past semester? How do we start fresh this fall? 

First, we do what we always do - build strong relationships. 

Fostering strong interpersonal relationships begins with sharing who you are. Being open, vulnerable, and true to oneself helps set a tone for a classroom environment. Many people worry that if we do not start face-to-face that this aspect of school will be missing. While building relationships and establishing a strong sense of community will not be as easy, it still can happen with a little bit of work. Live sessions are vital! Use live sessions to do what we would do - icebreakers. Two truths and a life, show-and-tell, theme meetings may all seem a little goofy, but leveraging that silliness will work and bring students back. They are craving connection as much, if not more than we are post-quarantine. Whether they are kindergarteners or seniors in high school, using the first few days (or weeks) to use live meetings to invest in creating a sense of community will go a long way if and when we end up remote again. Remember, students will work harder for people they care about and feel care about them. Show it! 

When live meets aren't possible, create videos. Create a one-minute video post once a week (or even once a day) that allows students to learn something about you. Share a passion, give a motivational elevator pitch, or make a connection between your content and their lives. Do what it takes to show that you are there for them! Take it a step further by encouraging them to get involved and complete the communication cycle. Flipgrid is an excellent platform for this. When internet access is scarce, send a letter. Any communication makes a difference. 

Once relationships are established, make sure access to course content is clear and accessible.

Clear course design is essential, especially as we may be moving back and forth between traditional, blended, and remote learning. Students need to be able to access course content and navigate through the learning management system or means of delivery. Routines should transcend delivery modes to help students adjust and adapt as needed. 

When the quarantine began, teachers felt the need to use new tech tools and create new routines. As teachers prepare for the fall, teachers should consider what enhanced the classroom experience and what did not work as well. Engagement is critical to student learning, and purposeful use of technology increases learning potential. Knowing how to implement a few tools reduces the amount of instructional time spent on learning how to access the curriculum and increases the time spent interacting with the curriculum. Remember, if students are struggling with finding or accessing content, it is okay to rethink, revise, and redesign. 

Once a course is designed, focus on creating experiences for our students that bring them back to the classroom or the computer screen. 

After students and teachers feel connected and comfortable in the learning environment, we can begin to develop and enhance the student experience. With online learning, assessments may need to change. Traditional learning that works in the classroom may not be as effective when moved online. As such, it is okay to continue to stretch and grow in the curriculum design process. 

One of the biggest suggestions that my students had at the end of the school year was to consider varying instruction to make it more interactive. When live instruction is not possible or not guaranteed, get creative! Tools like EdPuzzle challenge students to be active learners. They need to engage with instructional videos and reflect before, during, and after learning. Instead of completing worksheets, students prefer opportunities to create. Rote activities can become more meaningful when students are tasked with creating their videos to demonstrate understanding using tools like Flipgrid. And if and when we are forced out of the classroom for some time, using tools like Padlet that promote collaboration and make learning visible can recreate some of the connections that we have with our students, and they have with their peers. 

Regardless of the medium, we also find ways to give feedback and guidance to help our students grow. 

The learning process, like the communication model, involves feedback. We need to think about ways to provide our students with fast and meaningful feedback to help our students know that they are learning. Screencasting is a powerful way to provide personalized feedback that can recreate some of the feelings of being in a live classroom, even when that is not possible. Our feedback needs to extend beyond a written comment or two at the bottom of a page or end of a paper. Tools like Screencatify, Vocaroo, and Mote can help us to use our voices to encourage, guide, and reach students. The significant part of using these tools is that links can be embedded in digital comments boxes or learning management systems as well. While it may take a teacher time to learn a new tool, such as the ones listed above, the time saved in the long run by helping students achieve learning targets will be invaluable. 

Finally, do not lose heart. 

This fall will be difficult. Returning to a sense of normalcy is going to be fraught with anxiety and heightened emotions. We are all going to worry about our health, our families, and the whole community. We will continue to navigate new waters, and the waves of quarantine may strike again. The ripple effects that we can identify now and some that we do not see coming will impact us. Teachers should allow the unexpected to guide us to calmer waters. Do not fight any storm alone and continue to communicate with your students, colleagues, and family. This, too, shall pass, and have heart; it will make us stronger.