Setting Up Your (Virtual) Classroom for Success

Teachers often ask us: "How should I organize my classroom?" 

The question may feel out-of-place in the era of COVID, but to us it feels as relevant as ever. Effective self-pacing, whether in a classroom or online, requires clear structures that guide students on well-planned paths to mastery -- and the set-up of any physical or virtual space is the first structure that a learner will encounter. So, whether your students will walk into your room or log onto your LMS, strong organization is essential.

Of course, as with every element of our instructional model, what constitutes strong organization will depend on your students and their needs. However, through their years of experience, our teachers have found a few consistent practices that work: 

1) A consistent "home base." In many of our teachers' physical classrooms, this is a progress tracker displayed near the front of the room: students enter, see what they need to work on, and get started independently.  In a virtual classroom, the front page of a teacher's LMS should be equally clear: students should log on and see exactly what they should do next.  Make this as consistent a routine for students as possible.  

2) A place to gather and submit assignments. When students master one lesson, they should know exactly where to go to pick up (or download) the next lesson's materials -- this makes student progress smooth and efficient.  By the same token, when students have completed learning tasks, they should submit them in the proper place -- this facilitates the checking of mastery.  Whether these are bins by your desk, or assignments on your LMS, make sure your students know what goes where.

3) Different spaces for different tasks. Students spend much of their time in a Modern Classroom collaborating on assignments -- there should be a space (or breakout room/discussion board/shared Google Doc) where this is easy to do.  However, when it comes time for students to demonstrate their individual mastery, there should also be a space for silent solo work.  Finally, many teachers create "instructional nests" where they themselves spend class time working with students. Think about what your students will need while they are engaged in different tasks, and design physical/virtual spaces accordingly.

Want to see these practices in action? Check out the new Classroom Organization page of our free online course for pictures, detailed descriptions, new examples of progress trackers, new ideas for motivation, and a guide to our favorite new tool for online collaboration.

Of course, if you'd ever like to discuss classroom organization with an expert, enroll in our Virtual Mentorship Program today!