I think it is fair to say that - like most teachers - I never thought I would be teaching through a pandemic.

However, despite the challenges, as we slowly return to a new form of normal there is one positive area I cannot overlook - my use of technology to enhance learning has grown hugely. I suspect I’m not the only one.

True, we were compelled to increase our focus on technology tools and overall digital competency.

But whatever the reason, it’s something that looking forward we should embrace for the future - whatever it holds.

It wasn’t like at the start though.

Communication hurdles

Communication is something that comes quite naturally to teachers. However, explaining a concept in the classroom is very different from communicating through technology.

Students’ facial expressions and body language often help guide teachers in their approach.

Being able to walk around the classroom, look over students’ shoulders and make sure that they have really understood the task at hand was something I took for granted.

During online learning this all changed - I no longer had these cues to guide me, nor could I have a personal interaction as I worked one to one with my students.

My “classroom” now comprised of an impersonal screen showing only avatars instead of young faces.

Organisational skills

This meant robust organisational skills were critical to both the students and my own success and improving in this regard was a key focus.

Students had to log on to classes without teacher’s input and were obliged to submit their homework by email or by upload files on to an existing Sharepoint. 

I soon found that giving students a weekly outline of their lessons, indicating which would be held via Microsoft Teams and which would require students to work independently helped in this regard.

For online lessons to run effectively, what I thought were already simple instructions had to be broken down even further into components that students could follow with confidence. 

Providing checklists against which they could measure their progress also helped them immensely.

It was also important that, during this time, communication was a focus not only for delivering lessons but also to ensure that each child felt safe and confident in this new working environment.

This was done by continuing our Homeroom sessions daily, which allowed me to engage with students about their own challenges and successes during this time.

All this meant that, although daunting, the transition from teaching in a classroom full of students to having to deliver lessons online in front of a screen was less problematic than I first envisaged - and is now a skill I feel I have cultivated that will serve me well in any future teaching environment.

Learning by doing

It wasn’t just me that benefitted from this, of course. It had enormous benefits for the pupils, too.

I had always tried to utilise existing technologies and stay informed about new developments, especially in the education space, but this was a significant learning curve for me as a teacher as well as for my students.

However, there’s no better way to learn than when you have to - and so it proved here.

In a short period of time, online learning became the new normal, providing enhanced flexibility and creative opportunities for learning among students.

Enabling students to use a wide range of tools, such as collaboration documents and online quizzes, proved beneficial as it ensured that they had a varied learning experience.

I realised that students were more engaged with the tasks given and appeared motivated by being able to access so many different online platforms. 

As I gained in confidence, we progressed on to activities of a less serious nature and found that Microsoft Teams lends itself perfectly to online baking classes and home workouts, which were enjoyed by students and parents alike.

Future-focused

This pandemic has brought challenging times for teachers and students.

I am grateful that we were able to rise to these challenges, stay positive, gain new skills, and have come through this with an enhanced appreciation for life-long learning.  

I, for one, will continue to use varied resources including collaboration documents and to post assignments on Microsoft Teams, in order to give real-time feedback on students’ work. This includes using Teams for collaborating on projects and offering it as a resource for accessing materials for assignments and homework.

And I think this is a key lesson all teachers must take from this experience.

Although we are returning to the physical classroom, it is vital we use this opportunity to continue to implement and embrace the use of technology within our classroom, ensuring it is relevant and effective for both the subject being taught and the needs of the students we teach.

Personally, I have three takeaways that I intend to try and keep to ensure I maintain my new focus on digital skills:

• Continue to improve both your own and students’ digital competency.
• Enhance and embrace the use of technology.
• Build creative communication opportunities and platforms.

Sarah Joubert is a Grade 7 Homeroom English and Humanities Teacher at International School Zurich North in Switzerland