20 interactive teaching activities for in

the interactive classroom

 by Ruben Knapen — Jun 13,

2018

Interactive teaching is all about instructing the students in a way they are actively
involved with their learning process. There are different ways to create an
involvement like this. Most of the time it’s through

 teacher-student interaction
 student-student interaction
 the use of audio, visuals, video
 hands-on demonstrations and exercises

You encourage your students to be active members of your class, thinking on

their own, using their brains, resulting in long-term memory retention. Not only
the students' knowledge will improve, but their interest, strength, knowledge,
team spirit and freedom of expression will increase as well.
In this blog post, I will talk about the use of interactive methods for teaching,
encouraging more dedication towards the lesson material. We will see some
interactive teaching tools, interactive teaching ideas, and interactive teaching
games.
Not only will I talk about the use of interactive methods of teaching, but I’ll also
give you some examples of methods used in the present classroom as well.

Ready? Here are some of the most effective ways to engage your pupils!

3 Effective interactive teaching strategies to

encourage speech in your classroom
First, I want to put some activities in the spotlight. The following interactive
student activities are three of the most effective ways to encourage more speech
in your classroom.

1. Think, pair and share

Set a problem or a question around a certain topic, and pair up your

students. Give each pair of students enough time so they can reach a proper
conclusion, and permit the kids to share their conclusion in their voice. This way
your students will be engaged, communicating, and remember more of the class
than ever before.

2. Brainstorming

Interactive brainstorming is mostly performed in group sessions. The

process is useful for generating creative thoughts and ideas. Brainstorming helps
students learn to work together, and above all, learn from each other. You’ll be
surprised by all the great ideas they come up with! Check out these 8
fun brainstorming apps you can use in your classroom, or use BookWidgets'
Mindmap widget to structure thinking.

3. Buzz session
 Participants come together in session groups that focus on a single
topic. Within each group, every student contributes thoughts and ideas.
Encourage discussion and collaboration among the students within each group.
Everyone should learn from each other’s input and experiences. As a teacher, you
could give your students some keywords to spark the conversation.

Of course, there are many other interactive teaching ideas as well. I split up the
activities in different categories:

 Individual student activities

 Student pair activities
 Student group activities
 Interactive game activities

Individual student activities

4. Exit slips

These are best used at the end of the class session. You’ll ask the
students to write for one minute on a specific question. It might be generalized
to “what was the most important thing you learned today”. Then, you can decide if
you are going to open up a conversation about it in your next class. You can ask
them if they still remember what they wrote down. Need a digital exit slip
template? Try this one from BookWidgets and learn more about the possibilities
of an exit slip.

5. Misconception check

Discover students' misconceptions. See if students can identify what is

the correct answer when given a false fact. It’s useful when going over a previous
lesson. It encourages students to think deeply and wager all the possibilities.
6. Circle the questions

Make a worksheet or a survey that has a list of questions (make them

specific) about your topic, and ask students to circle (or check) the ones they don’t
know the answers to. Then, let them turn in the paper.

Create corners concerning different questions that were circled. Let your students
work on the extra exercises and explanation in the corners, individually. As your
students will all have circled different questions, you have to give each student a
different and personalized order to visit the corners.

7. Ask the winner

Ask students to silently solve a problem on the board. After revealing

the answer, instruct those who got it right to raise their hands (and keep them
raised). Then, all other students have to talk to someone with a raised hand to
better understand the question and how to solve it next time.

Student pair activities

8. Pair-share-repeat

After a Think-pair-share experience, which I’ve written about in the

first interactive learning lesson idea, you can also ask students to find a new
partner and share the wisdom of the old partnership to this new partner.

9. Teacher and student

 Let students brainstorm the main points of the last lesson. Then, pair
up your students and assign them 2 roles. One of them is the teacher, and the
other the student. The teacher’s job is to sketch the main points, while the
student’s job is to cross off points on his list as they are mentioned and come up
with 2 to 3 points that the teacher missed.

10. Wisdom from another

After an individual brainstorm or creative activity, pair students to

share their results. Then, call for volunteers who found their partner’s work to be
interesting or exemplary. Students are often more willing to share the work of
fellow students publicly than their work. Of course, you can always encourage
sharing their objectives as well.

11. Forced debate

Let students debate in pairs. Students must defend the opposite side of
their personal opinion. It encourages them to step away from their own beliefs
and teaches them to look through a different colored glass once in a while.

Variation: one half of the class takes one position, the other half takes the other
position. Students line up and face each other. Each student may only speak once
so that all students on both sides can engage the issue.

12. Optimist/Pessimist

In pairs, students take opposite emotional sides of a case study,

statement, or topic. Encourage them to be empathic and truly “live” the case
study. You’ll discover some good solution proposals and your students will learn
some exceptional social skills.

13. Peer review writing task

To assist students with a writing assignment, encourage them to

exchange drafts with a partner. The partner reads the essay and writes a three-
paragraph response: the first paragraph outlines the strengths of the essay, the
second paragraph discusses the essay’s problems, and the third paragraph is a
description of what the partner would focus on in revision if it were her essay.
Students can learn a lot from each other and themselves as well! Here are 10
more creative self-assessment ideas.

Student group activities

14. Board rotation

This interactive learning strategy is even more interactive than others!

Divide your class into different groups of students and assign them to each of the
boards you’ve set up in the room. Assign one topic/question per board. After each
group writes an answer, they rotate to the next board. Here, they write their
answer below the first answer of the previous group. Let them go around the
room until all the groups have covered all the boards. Not that many boards in
your classroom? Try using tablets and BookWidgets' interactive whiteboard.

15. Pick the Winner

Divide the class into groups and let them work on the same
topic/problem. Let them record an answer/strategy on paper or digitally. Then,
ask the groups to switch with a nearby group and let them evaluate their answer.
After a few minutes, allow each set of groups to merge and ask them to select the
best answer from the two choices, which will be presented to the complete class.
16. Movie Application

In groups, students discuss examples of movies that made use of a

concept or event discussed in class, trying to identify at least one way the movie
makers got it right, and one way they got it wrong. Think about movies showing
historical facts, geographical facts, biographies of famous people, …

Interactive game activities

Create an interactive classroom full of interactive learning games. Games are so
much fun for students since it doesn’t feel like learning. With BookWidgets, you
can make interactive learning games like crossword puzzles, pair matching games,
bingo games, jigsaw puzzles, memory games, and many more in minutes (and
there’s a Google Classroom integration as well).

17. Crossword puzzle

The crossword game is perfect to use as repetition activity. Choose a

list of words and their description, and BookWidgets creates an interactive
crossword for you. The crossword game transforms these boring lessons into a
fun experience. Here you can read more about how to create them and for which
topics you can use them (not only for teaching languages)!

18. Scrabble

Use the chapter (or course) title as the pool of letters from which to
make words (e.g., mitochondrial DNA), and allow teams to brainstorm as many
words relevant to the topic as possible. You can also actually play scrabble and
ask students to form words from the newly learned vocabulary.

19. Who/what am I?
 Tape a term or name on the back of each student. You can also tape it
on their forehead. Each student walks around the room, asking “yes or no”
questions to the other students in an effort to guess the term. Of course, the term
has something to do with your lesson topic.

20. Bingo

Bingo is a fun game that can be used for all sorts of exercises: language
exercises, introductory games, math exercises, etc. Take a look at this blog post
with all the different bingo possibilities here. You’ll be surprised about how many
interactive lesson activities you can do with just one game.

Want to create a bingo game yourself? You can start for free right here:

Create a Bingo Game

Wrap up
That’s it! Like in any list, you could add many other interactive teaching ideas. I
could go on for quite a while myself. But what about you? Tell me about your
creative, interactive classroom ideas by adding them to this Padlet board below.
This way, we can build out this article with many more great ideas!

The role of teacher in classroom interaction

The teacher acts as a facilitator. Since students do not always spontaneously interact well with
one another they hence need encouragement. To cultivate interaction, the teacher may divide
the learners into small groups and give them tasks, projects or assignments. Soon all the
students will be communicating with each other role playing and offering ideas; shyness will be
forgotten in the excitement of accomplishing the group project.

The teacher has the role to create a classroom environment. Students often mimic a teacher’s
actions. If the teacher prepares a warm, happy environment, students are more likely to be
happy. An environment set by the teacher can either be positive or negative. The students
sense the mode of the teacher; if the teacher is angry, they may react negatively hence the
learning is impaired.

The teacher acts a role model. Teachers typically do not think of themselves as role models,
however, inadvertently they are. Students spend a great deal of time with their teacher and
therefore, the teacher becomes a role model to them. This maybe a positive or negative effect
depending on the behaviors of the teacher.

The teacher acts as a mentor. It can be intentional or not. It encourages the students to work
hard to achieve the best. It can be positive or negative depending on the character of the
teacher. The teacher can mentor learners by taking time to listen to them. By doing so, the
students build courage.

The teacher should be aware of the elements that prevent good classroom interaction. By
knowing them, the teacher will be able to avoid them hence create proper classroom interaction.
For example, some teachers discourage students by criticizing their answers.Criticizing mostly
shuts the students down hence affecting the interaction negatively. Peer pressure or when
some students have overpowering personalities that cause other students keep quiet in class.

What does it involve?

Teaching the process of science therefore requires going beyond what is

offered in most textbooks, but that doesn't mean it has to replace the content
you want to teach.

 In a lecture course, for example, "teaching the process" can mean

reorganizing a lecture to show how our understanding of a concept has
developed historically, emphasizing contributions from many scientists,
and the complications and dead-ends along the way.
 In a lab- or field-based course, "teaching the process" can mean
designing activities that allow students to actually engage in a real
process of inquiry.

 In all cases, "teaching the process" means making explicit reference to

those aspects you wish to teach - if students are creating posters to
describe the results of their inquiry, you need to make an explicit
connection to scientists presenting their research at professional
meetings.

Teacher has demonstrated a commitment to building Addresses most of the Descriptors.

solid relationships with her students through informal
conversations and assessment interviews. Reflects on teacher’s knowledge and

Additionally, teacher has used classroom practice.

observations, formal assessment tasks and one-on-

Incorporates teacher’s interactions with
one conferencing to develop a good understanding
students, colleagues and parent
of her students’ physical, socio-emotional and
community.
learning needs.

Effective comments on differentiation.

Using this information, teacher has developed
teaching and learning experiences that cater to the
‘… physical, socio-emotional and learning
needs of all students using Gardner’s Multiple
needs’ is not the language of the
Intelligences as a guide. Clear differentiation is also
Standards.
evident through the use of open-ended questioning
and progressively more complex activities using
Bloom’s taxonomy to provide appropriate scaffolds
and extension for students accessing the curriculum
at various levels. Teacher regularly engages in
conversations with partner teachers and specialist
teachers about how to best structure lessons to suit
the needs of all students. This has included the
development of individual learning plans.
Teacher utilises a range of measures to help her Addresses most of the Descriptors.
identify students with particular learning needs. She
subsequently modifies her lessons and includes Incorporates teacher’s interactions with

strategies to address the various learning needs. colleagues and use of data to inform
practice and gain knowledge of student
Teacher has also engaged with pre-testing and post-
testing of students so that she can gain an accurate needs and learning.
understanding of students’ prior knowledge and
Initial statements address assessment, ie
build on this in her lessons.
Standard 5. Links to Standard 1 are very

Teacher consults with colleagues, including year general. Consultation with colleagues

advisers, head teachers and the deputy principal, to borders on Standard& 6.

develop knowledge of students’ backgrounds,
learning needs and abilities. She is aware of, utilises
and follows individual learning plans of identified
students, which highlights her understanding of the
various ways in which students respond to learning
and behaviour management strategies.
Teacher has a detailed knowledge of her students Comments provide specific examples of
and selects teaching strategies that improve their the observations of teacher’s work and
learning. She has used support materials from the experience while addressing many
8ways website to assist her in designing and components of all Descriptors in the
implementing teaching strategies to engage Standard. This demonstrates that the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in her supervisor has deep knowledge of
class. These strategies were highly effective in teacher’s practice.
engaging all students during an observed lesson on
story writing. Teacher uses advice from colleagues
to structure her teaching programs, including the
special needs teacher who has supported her in
implementing effective strategies to support a
hearing impaired student in her class. Her teaching
programs are differentiated, well researched and
responsive to the needs of all of her students.

Standard 2: Know the content and how to

teach it
Supervisor report statements Comments
Teacher designs and implements lessons that are Integrates programming and
differentiated to cater for a range of abilities and learning lesson planning with ongoing PD
Supervisor report statements Comments
styles. He plans and adjusts his lessons to accommodate of knowledge and pedagogy.
various learning needs of students. His teaching strategies
include a sound balance of teacher-directed and student- No reference to 2.4.2 in

centred learning. Teacher has a strong understanding of all statements.

content, which is evident in the development of his programs.

He continues to strengthen this by attending relevant
professional learning. This included PD specific to the new
English, Mathematics and Science curriculums. Teacher has
developed units of work clearly linking syllabus outcomes and
learning experiences, while accommodating students’ prior
knowledge and experiences. His lessons contain a variety of
teaching and learning activities, including appropriate ICT to
suit the needs of his students. Teacher evaluates and reflects
on the effectiveness of teaching and learning experiences and
adjusts further planning as required.
Teacher designs and implements teaching and learning Addresses most of the
programs and lessons that demonstrate sound knowledge of Descriptors.
the syllabus documents, support materials and department
initiatives in literacy and numeracy. She draws on knowledge ‘Teacher endeavours to organise
attained during professional development and discussions content’ would be better stated

with colleagues to further improve her programming. Teacher as ‘Teacher organises content’.
endeavours to organise content that is well sequenced to
scaffold students in their acquisition of skills and knowledge.
She effectively and confidently incorporates ICT into teaching
and meaningful learning activities. Teacher has organised
National Reconciliation Week activities for her students to
develop their understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander histories, culture and languages.

Standard 3: Plan for and implement

effective teaching and learning
Supervisor report statements Comments
Teacher plans and implements well-organised learning Strong example of how feedback
Supervisor report statements Comments
programs that provide a balance of challenge and support. informs practice and forms of
Regular formative and summative assessment is performed, assessment.
such as anecdotal records, running records and SENA
testing. Data is maintained through the use of Early Learning The report could add greater
Plans and tracking sheets based on the NSW syllabus reference to more specific

outcomes. This data is used by teacher to develop lesson Descriptors in this Standard, eg

plans that cover content thoroughly and move through reference to parents/carers, ICT

modelled, guided and independent practice. The purpose of resources and communication

this is to ensure sufficient instruction and application of skills strategies.

and to allow students to develop deep understanding of

Some tendency towards 5.1.2
lesson content and achieve learning goals. A variety of
and 5.2.2.
teaching strategies is used and continual formative
assessment throughout lessons identifies students who need
support. Students are provided with effective, timely feedback
throughout the lessons, affirming those demonstrating
progression towards learning goals and supporting those
experiencing difficulties.
Teacher has planned units that incorporate different teaching Concise comments that link to a
strategies, including ICT and group work, to actively engage number of Standard 3
students in both practical and theoretical lessons. The Descriptors. Not all linked, eg:
activities in her programs are well structured with a realistic
suggested time frame. She effectively utilises verbal and non- no reference to

verbal means to convey her teaching and learning activities. parents/carers

no reference to
Teacher questions students effectively, thereby allowing her
evaluation and improvement of
to gauge understanding and providing students with
teaching programs.
opportunities to demonstrate their achievement of course
content. Leaning goals are explicitly stated at the beginning of
each lesson according to the syllabus outcomes and
objectives. The resources teacher has developed for use in
the classroom exemplify the currency of her subject content,
are engaging and are differentiated to cater for the needs of
different learners.
Standard 4: Create and maintain
supportive and safe learning environments
Supervisor report statements Comments
Teacher is consistent in her expectations for behaviour and Addresses 4–6 Descriptors in the
the rules are clearly communicated to students through Standard.
reference to her visual ‘Class rules’ display. This display
includes visual reminders to students who need to monitor Identifies specific actions that

and modify challenging behaviour. Teacher’s classroom demonstrate the Standard.

welfare strategies reflect the school’s welfare program and

Safety issues are not addressed;
policy, and she actively monitors individual learning plans for
this includes both in-school and
students with specific learning or behavioural issues. Teacher
virtual safety.
listens to and takes time to acknowledge students and is
always available to discuss issues with parents. She interacts
Comment focuses on
with students in a positive manner and takes time to celebrate
management and welfare but
individual or group success in learning.
does not address student safety.
Teacher is sensitive to the learning needs of her diverse Comments address a number of
range of students, accommodating different learning needs Descriptors and provide
and abilities. Her calm and personable classroom demeanour examples of how teacher
creates a stable learning environment where each student is demonstrated and continues to
encouraged to work productively and to take intellectual risks meet quality teaching.
in a non-threatening environment. Teacher develops student
responses by further questioning. Time limits provide students First sentence tends to Standard
with structure and enhance and maintain a positive learning 1.
environment. Teacher has implemented appropriate
Final comment could be framed
measures to address challenging behaviours. She has
differently so it is not written in
instigated open communication and sought advice from
terms of 5.2.2 and 5.5.2.
relevant pastoral and KLA leaders to deal with classroom
discipline problems quickly, fairly and respectfully, initiating
Comment does not address
contact with parents and actively seeking support. Teacher
student safety.
also gives extensive feedback on all aspects of student
achievement and behaviour to pastoral and academic
stakeholders and parents.
Teacher ensures student safety in his classroom, during A sample comment for 4.4.2 and
Supervisor report statements Comments
fieldwork and when students are interacting in virtual 4.5.2.
environments. He takes care to ensure that excursion risk
assessments are completed to meet all requirements. Digital Further comments are required
learning tasks are carefully designed to ensure that students for 4.1.2, 4.2.2 and 4.3.2.
are responsible and ethical in their use of ICT. During an
observed lesson, teacher modelled appropriate internet
searching and referencing skills for students to apply to their
own research.

Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and

report on student learning
Supervisor report statements Comments
Teacher keeps accurate and focused records of student All Descriptors have been
achievement that she uses when reporting to parents and at addressed.
stage and learning support meetings. She is aware of school
policies and meets deadlines for mandatory reporting. Comments are concise but

Teacher’s student reports are clear, accurate and respectfully reflect on knowledge and
outline areas of need and future learning directions. Teacher practice and how assessment
uses SENA testing, running records, and literacy and data is used to inform teaching

numeracy continuums to assess students accurately and then practice.

differentiate her instruction. Teacher provides timely and
Moderation not directly
effective feedback to students and parents about learning and
addressed; perhaps by
behavioural goals.
inference.
Teacher clearly plans for assessment using both formal and Explicitly addresses all
informal assessment. She collates and records data Descriptors within the Standards
accurately and consistently to monitor students’ progress, and covers the scope of the
using the school tracking system. Teacher participates in Standard.
professional moderation of assessment with the teaching
team to ensure consistency in teacher judgement. Teacher Comments reflect on actions,

analyses assessment data and responds to areas of need by understanding of data and
modifying future programming. Teacher provides effective communication to key

opportunities for students to reflect on their learning and stakeholders.

Supervisor report statements Comments
determines the most appropriate form of feedback. Teacher is
professional in reporting to students, parents and carers with The statements do not include
accurate and clear information about achievement and areas extraneous information about
for development. During an observed lesson, teacher led her other Standards.
students through a structured reflection process when
Includes a reference to an
returning student work that she had assessed.
observation of a lesson.

Standard 6: Engage in professional

learning
Supervisor report statements Comments
Teacher reflects on her teaching performance and develops Refers to specific engagement in
an accurate self-analysis as a result, enabling her to identify PD as well as collegial
areas in her practice where she feels professional learning discussions to share knowledge
would be helpful. Teacher is actively committed to keeping up and develop teaching practice.
with current educational initiatives and pedagogy. She seeks
advice from colleagues and supervisors and listens and No explicit reference to use of

learns from the expertise of others. Teacher involves herself the APSTs to support

in professional learning opportunities using the aspects of the professional learning.

school management plan, professional learning courses, staff
and stage meetings, and school development days. She
completes between-session tasks from workshops to
integrate her learning into classroom practice.
Teacher frequently engages in professional discussions with Refers to specific engagement in
other colleagues as a means of improving his teaching PD as well as collegial
practice. He has effectively incorporated comments from discussions to share knowledge
lesson observations as a means of furthering his professional and develop teaching practice.
development. He actively seeks resources that will enhance
teaching and learning for students. He has participated in a No explicit reference to use of

range of professional learning activities throughout the year the APSTs to support

and has demonstrated the ability to incorporate his learning professional learning.

into his teaching practice and to share knowledge and

resources with his colleagues.
Supervisor report statements Comments
Teacher regularly reflects on her practice using the APST as Provides specific examples of
the benchmark. She actively engages in school-based engagement and application of
professional learning opportunities and has effectively PD.
implemented strategies from the guided inquiry workshop to
improve student learning outcomes. Teacher effectively Includes annual review as a

participates in her annual review process, applying the professional learning activity.

feedback received from colleagues to her practice. This was

Provides an observed example
evident in the observed Year 7 English lesson, where her use
of teacher learning impacting on
of open-ended questioning was significantly improved.
practice

Standard 7: Engage professionally with

colleagues, parents/carers and the
community
Supervisor report statements Comments
Teacher has engaged professionally with colleagues, parents Identifies demonstration of most
and the school community. She has contributed to collegial Descriptors throughout the whole
discussion online and in team meetings, and applied school community in a number of
constructive feedback from lesson observations to improve ways.
her pedagogy in the classroom. Teacher has provided
feedback to her colleagues through our National Partnerships
program in reciprocal teacher reflection and discussion.
Teacher has communicated effectively and appropriately with
parents of the school community by various modes of
communication, including letters to parents, Facebook,
information evenings and whole-school assemblies. Teacher
has engaged in wider communication outside the school
community to benefit the teachers and students of the school.
Teacher has established and maintained relationships with Addresses all Descriptors with
parents of her students based on mutual understanding, relevant examples of practice.
respect and trust. She encourages parents to ask questions
or clarify concerns about their children’s learning and keeps Explicit to the language across

them informed about behaviour incidents in which their all of Standard 7 and provides
Supervisor report statements Comments
children may be involved. Teacher welcomes parent
involvement in her classroom and maintains open dialogue effective examples.

with both parents and students. She respects the

confidentiality of student information and follows mandatory
guidelines with regard to student welfare, reporting and
communication with stakeholders. Teacher is sensitive to
cultural differences when communicating with parents and
carers, and organises a translator when necessary to ensure
that parents/carers are able to understand and actively
participate during interviews and meetings. She regularly
networks with other early career teachers and specialist staff
within and outside her school to share teaching experiences
and improve classroom practice.

As teachers worldwide hastily cobble together resources and navigate an endless array
of online teaching tools, one question remains:

How do we actually do online teaching?

No amount of free trials or complex digital tools will help.

What we really need are best practice strategies. Now.

Look no further. Here are the ten vital online teaching strategies that you need to bring
dynamic learning out of the classroom and into the virtual world.

Choose your online teaching platform wisely

The site of your online teaching needs to be:

 Accessible: it’s easy for students and parents to use at home.

 Equitable: it has printable activities for students without reliable internet or device
access.
 Communicative: so that students can talk directly to you as well as their peers. This
might be via a live chat or a discussion board.
 Monitorable: so that you can stay informed of student activity and progress. Automated
reporting is ideal.
 Sustainable: your online teaching platform needs to be a realistic long-term solution that
doesn’t burn you out with undue amounts of time and effort.
What online teaching tools are out there? You can choose from:

 Learning Management Systems (LMS): your school might be using one of these
already, such as Blackboard or Moodle. They form a convenient base or ‘homepage’ for
all your learning content.
 Curriculum-aligned online programs such as Mathletics or Readiwriter Spelling. A
great option for homework, assignments and individual student practice due to their
automated reporting.
 Cloud-based software such as Google Classrooms or Microsoft OneNote. These are
perfect for real-time communication and collaboration.

Remember: you don’t need to find a single online teaching tool that does it all. You can
use a combination of them in sync.

Just make sure that your students know how to use your chosen tools. 

Need more help creating an effective online teaching platform? We’ve got the
details here.

Create a parent–teacher partnership for online teaching

Parents play a vital role in online teaching. They can be the motivators, monitors, and
aides for your students while you are on the other side of the screen.

But you have to actively involve them first. Let them know what to expect from the
online teaching period, and tell them how they can help.

Send home a parent support package. In this you can include:

 an overview of what content will be covered during the online teaching period
 a list of clear strategies that parents can use to support learning at home
 login details and access information for any online teaching tools being used.

Most parents will do what they can, but keep your expectations realistic. It helps to
think of parents as assistants, as opposed to classroom teachers in their own right.

Keep them updated on their child’s progress too. You will leave them feeling
confident that their child’s learning is still on track, even if the classroom has been
swapped for the kitchen table.

Discover more strategies for positive parent communication here.

Deliver engaging online teaching content across multiple

modes
Diversify your online teaching strategies to include a mix of text, sound and imagery. It’s
far more engaging than a packet of worksheets.

Here are some options:

Scheduled live classes via Zoom or Skype

A live class once a week brings back the engaging dynamic of the classroom. Use the
time to kickstart a discussion or delve into some new and exciting content.

Video lectures

You can put as much time as you like into recording the content-heavy part of your
lesson, and students are able to watch it back as many times as they need.

Set activities with gamified online learning tools

Curriculum-aligned programs such as Mathletics and Readiwriter Spelling are designed

to keep learning engaging no matter where it’s taking place. They also come with
automated reporting and tailored learning journeys for each student.

Start a class blog

Assign groups or individuals to post blogs on different aspects of the topic. It’s a great
strategy for going into depth.

Structure your online teaching to create a sense of

routine
Your students should come to see online teaching as a regular and predictable part of
their day. Use the following strategies to turn online teaching into ‘the new normal’:

Create specific places for different learning resources

Your students should know exactly where to access:

 the teaching sequence/unit plan

 resources: videos, links, and printable handouts
 activities and assignments.

With everything in its right place, they’ll be able to find their way around the virtual
classroom with ease.

Create a flexible timetable

Set different days for different subjects, or even different instructional strategies. You
might upload a video lesson on Monday, set individual activities for Tuesday and then
regroup for a discussion on Wednesday.

Remember: different families will have different home schedules. Keep it flexible

instead of trying to replicate a regular school day.

Set weekly goals and targets

Encourage your students to set goals for each week. This might be:

 writing a new chapter of a story

 setting a new personal best with a practice activity
 achieving a certificate or reaching a new level in a gamified program
 producing a journal entry that reflects on their week’s learning.

Engage with students daily

Take the time to connect each day by providing feedback, uploading some new
resources, or even just sending a hello message. Your continued presence will
encourage students to log on each day.

 Help your child establish and stick to a routine.

Even though school has gone to an online learning format, treat school days just like
you would if your child was attending school as usual. This includes having them get up
at the same time everyday, get properly dressed, and eat a healthy breakfast.

2 – Check in with your child’s advisor or teachers.

Teachers and advisors are usually more than willing to connect with parents via email or
phone after school hours. Check in if your child is having difficulty managing the online
learning platform or staying on task. Be on the lookout for any communications from
teachers indicating that they are having trouble connecting with your child during this
time.

3 – Encourage physical activity and exercise.

Your child will be sitting in front of their computer for long stretches of time. Encourage
them to use the breaks in the day to stretch, walk the dog, or do jumping jacks — any
movement helps!

4 – Resist the urge to sit in on classes with your child.

While it may certainly be tempting to “pop in” on your child’s classes, please respect
their privacy and that of other students. Connect with faculty and staff through email or
other communication channels before or after school hours.

5 – Take care of you.

This one is extra important, and we hear it often, but take care of you. If you’re not
taking care of your own physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs, you will have
less energy, space, and patience to connect with and take care of your children. Even
10-15 minutes of scheduled “me” time during the day is beneficial. 

It’s more important than ever to find ways to stay in touch and connect with others,
whether that be your local community, your school, or your workplace. If your city or
town has city alerts, sign up for an email, as many have opportunities to ask for help or
volunteer for neighbors in need. At the end of the day or week, check in with your
support network — family, friends, and colleagues — to share worries, advice, and the
unexpected joys of living life in close quarters. 

And, remember that we have the power to come out stronger from this experience, as
we learn to adapt our lives and routines in the face of an unexpected yet shared
challenge.

Read APH Student Isabelle G.’s (’22)  tips on coping with stress during the Coronavirus.

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About the Author: Lauren D'Ambra

Our current health crisis has given remote learning a global
platform, with stay-at-home orders closing school buildings
across the country. For early childhood educators who
promote play- or project-based approaches, going remote
can be a particularly daunting task.

Preschools rely heavily on an openness to free play within

carefully curated environments. Through play, children
develop foundational social and emotional, executive
functioning, and academic skills. Early childhood educators
often act as facilitators, building upon children’s natural
curiosities. To inspire play, we curate spaces with open-
ended materials that provoke children’s engagement with
each other and their surroundings.

Even as preschools have closed their doors and transitioned

to remote learning, it is essential that these core principles
remain. It is possible to work with families to establish play-
based, child-centered learning that pushes beyond engaging
with a screen. At my school, we are keeping virtual meetings
short—a maximum of 30 minutes—and instead giving
families tools to foster learning at home.

Once a week, we host a large group sing-along with about

30 families. All other virtual meetings are in small groups of
three to six children to accommodate turn-taking and ensure
all children have opportunities to speak. Attendance is
voluntary.

Here are the other things my preschool is doing to help

families continue the learning at home—while staying true to
what young children need most.

7 WAYS TO MAKE DISTANCE LEARNING WORK IN

PRESCHOOL
1. Let children guide you: Although we’re not together,
children are still playing, exploring, and learning in their
homes. Ask families to submit photos or videos of children’s
play. Look for trends in this documentation. During the small-
group meetings, we display these photos or videos so
children’s voices are heard and teachers are not the only
leaders of remote discussions.
To take an example from my school, one of our teachers
noticed a trend in the photos and videos we were receiving
from families in one small group: Several children were
playing with trains, cars, or trucks at home. During a virtual
class meeting, this teacher sang automobile-related songs
and posted videos of children playing with their automobiles
so that children could see themselves and their friends. The
children then discussed and compared their play.

2. Provide meaningful alternatives to screen time: Children

between the ages of 2 and 7 are still in the preoperational
stage, and it is developmentally inappropriate to expect their
learning to be entirely screen-based. With the automobile-
inspired play, the teacher invited children to continue their
exploration after their virtual meeting by building automobiles
using cardboard boxes. The teacher then invited families to
share photos or videos of their children’s creations.

To inspire these real-world prompts and ensure that they’re

feasible in your students’ homes, invite families to submit
photos of their spaces or survey them to better understand
the resources available to them. At our school, we’ve had at
least half of families in each class share these details with
us.

3. Remember that families are your partners: Families are

excellent allies and can support you by extending children’s
learning at home. However, we must remember that families
have other responsibilities outside of supporting us with our
lessons. Make attendance at the virtual meetings voluntary,
and if a family misses one or neglects to complete a project,
send a note to check in and share what was missed, but
don’t require participation.

4. Remote relationship-building is critical: Relationships are

the bedrock of our schools. Although we cannot be together,
we can stay in touch and show we care. Work as a staff to
connect with families once a week over the phone or via
video chat—whatever works best for them. Send a school-
wide email every day.

To ensure that this work is spread sustainably across your

staff, create a schedule with faculty that rotates
responsibility for writing the daily email so that each person’s
voice is heard. Ideas for daily emails include: a note of
gratitude, video recordings of read-alouds or songs, child-
friendly cooking recipes, and directions for how to use
household items to make paint or build an imaginary
structure.

5. Music is magical: Children respond well to singing and

dancing online. For a child, participating in a song or dance
is an easy way to engage with a screen because they can
follow the leader. The rules of this interaction are clear and
translate well into an online format. Try a school-wide sing-
along or use songs intermittently to re-engage children who
may be distracted during a virtual meeting.

6. Leverage your tech-savvy team members: Even if your

school is typically a low-tech environment, there are likely
teachers or families who are tech-savvy. Lean on them for
their creativity. Taking your school online is a collective
effort—any idea is worth trying.
7. Be kind to yourself: Previous metrics of success no longer
apply. Measure your success in participation and smiles. If
children are disinterested during a virtual meeting, remember
that they are young and this is new to everyone. Don’t take
abrupt exits personally. If overall attendance is dwindling,
call or survey families to find out what they need and try your
best to adapt. Lastly, acknowledge that you cannot be the
exact right thing for everyone at all times. We are all just
doing our best.