During NTI, we have had to face new behavioral challenges. Instead of fights breaking out, random outburst or students misbehaving, we have been handling students unmuting while we're teaching, posting inappropriate comments in the chat and skipping class. While these may seem less serious, they are still behavior concerns that need to be addressed. Just as you would in the classroom setting, I firmly believe in setting classroom expectations. However, students also need to know expectations are set for their teacher as well. Last year, in person, one of the expectations my students set for me, was no drinking soda while I was teaching them. It may seem silly, but my students were not allowed to carry around items from the vending machine after our floors were ruined from a Mountain Dew spill. I agree to the no soda rule, and the level of respect between students and myself greatly improved. I wished I had implemented it much sooner.
While reading Ashley's blog, she recommended maintaining those expectations while virtual. This week, I made an effort to ask my students what bothered them most about NTI. A lot of them agreed that it was frustrating when teachers called on random students to participate, when they may not be in a quiet place where they felt comfortable unmuting. So my students and I created the expectation that I would never call on random students as long as we had participation. They all stepped up and have had such wonderful engagement that I even surprised them with a guest speaker during class this week.
A few of Ashley's examples of virtual classroom expectations included:
- Come to class prepared with all materials needed on time.
- Raise your hand to talk.
- Sit in one spot & face the camera during class.
- Participate and have fun!
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