What do I do while my students watch my videos?
Once you’ve recorded enough instructional videos, and developed consistent self-paced structures, you may find yourself asking a strange question: “what do I do now?” If you don’t need to deliver content from the front of the class, and you don’t need to keep the whole class engaged at the same time, what exactly should you be doing?
This feeling of uncertainty can be unsettling, but it can be liberating as well. Freed from the need to lecture, you as a Modern Classroom teacher can now:
Ensure mastery — in real time. Before students move from Lesson 1 to Lesson 2, they should prove to you that they are ready to advance. This doesn’t have to be done through an assignment that you take home to grade… instead, have your students show you their mastery directly in class! You’ll know they are ready for what’s next, and save grading time as well.
Directly support struggling students. In any class, there will be students who need extra help to learn. Rather than having these students come back over lunch or after school — which may be hardest for students who need your help the most — use class time to give them the focused support they need. Your on-pace learners can continue learning independently… and you’ll be there to answer those students’ questions when they arise as well.
Make human connections. Forming close relationships with your students is not only part of what makes teaching meaningful — it also helps your students learn! As Modern Classroom Mentor Zach Diamond explains in this article, taking a few minutes to get to know your students as people can pay huge dividends in terms of engagement, and motivate your students to learn more content as a result. Your students won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Have fun! If you really have nothing to do, I'd think about something you WANT to do with students, and then do it with the students who are ahead. Give them a challenge problem, or make up a game, or have a discussion about something related to the content. Not only will this be fun for you and the students, it can motivate others to get ahead!
Picture a great basketball coach, or the conductor of an orchestra. That leader doesn’t spend all of their time telling the players or musicians exactly what to do; instead, they design meaningful practice activities and then spend practice time supporting where needed, forming relationships, and helping each member of the team/orchestra be the very best they can be. That’s what you, as a Modern Classroom educator, can do as your students… and what each of your students needs from you. You can do it!
