Across the UK, schools are constantly evolving and learning to adapt to the pandemic, and no one knows what the school year will look like in the future. However, what is certain is that remote teaching is here to stay whether we like it or not. It is likely that schools will adapt to a blended approach to teaching with some teaching being online and some being on the school premises. Many teachers lack the confidence to teach their students online, therefore schools need to provide teachers with support for remote learning to be a success.

Provide teachers with resources.

There are specific resources than teachers need when they are teaching online, the most important is an excellent learning management system (LMS) like Elearnus which is a software application that reports, tracks and tests learners so that they can progress through online courses. Elearnus allows teachers, tutors and online schools to manage their online education and virtual classrooms. The benefit of using Elearnus for teachers is that they can create quizzes for students, and they can build these smart quizzes for exams that can be autocorrected and graded with feedback. This makes teachers lives a lot easier and allows them to concentrate on other things like offering students individualised support.

Provide teachers with mental health support.

Providing teachers with mental health support is extremely important and arguably the most important way that schools can support teachers while they work at home. Remote learning has caused many teachers to become worried about a whole array of things. With meetings transitioning online, schools can turn one-to-one meetings into opportunities for teachers to speak about their worries and ask for help if they require it. Schools should remind teachers that they are there to listen to their concerns.

Provide teachers with feedback.

Providing teachers with feedback on activities and videos they have provided for their students for example, is important so they know what they have done well in and what they can improve on for the future.

Recognise effort and offer teacher’s praise.

Schools should recognise when a teacher has done a good job as it goes a long way. Offering praise to teachers when they have done well is just as important as it is for students as it is one of the most powerful tools to engage and motivate teachers. Recognising effort and offering praise can also improve teachers’ attitudes about working from home.

Offer teachers technical support.

Some teachers may find using technology more difficult than others and teachers need technical support at a time when remote learning relies on technology. An example is assisting teachers with pre-recorded lessons or videos.

Co-plan lessons with teachers.

When teaching went online, many teachers felt overwhelmed, and some teachers may need more help at delivering lessons online than others. In order to facilitate the move to online learning, schools should partner with teachers to plan lessons so that they can learn about what works and what doesn’t for their students.

Some final thoughts…

Remote teaching is a new phenomenon for most teachers and is going to be a way of life for them for the foreseeable future. Focusing on teachers well-being and effective learning strategies are key for happy teachers. As time passes, teachers will become more informed and more comfortable about how to make remote learning easier for both them and their students, but for now they will continue to learn what works and what doesn’t work.