If you’re in a situation where natural light isn’t optimal, try getting a ring light.
Turn your overhead light off – it can create shadows. Placing your desk or work table in FRONT of a window is best. If possible, film yourself in a naturally well lit room. You also need a space that you can successfully film yourself in. – Having the right materials surrounding you isn’t everything. Here’s a post about the media equipment I use in my remote teaching.
Even if your space is small, you can create something professional and FUN for your students to see.Ĭheck out how one of our Sparklers, Jill Hatcher, created a stellar teach-from-home space below! – Find a white board (Amazon has loads of options), art pieces to hand on the wall behind you and anything else that would usually makes your classroom sparkle. Picture the colorful artwork around the room, your collection of supplies and then, simplify it and mirror it at home. – Envision what your classroom would have looked like this year. That being said, you can transform any area into a workspace with a few simple, sparkly tricks. Consider creating a space that puts you in teacher mode. If you’re teaching from your dining room table, it has the potential to feel unorganized and disjointed. Here are a few of my best tips for virtual teaching:Ĭreative spaces are important.
The BIGGEST game-changers are not the tech-y things, it’s being prepared – for anything.ĭOWNLOAD my free resource for some suggested materials to make virtual learning successful for you and your students this year!
Through trial and error, I’ve learned how to hack my way through camera angles, remember to clean my lens and edit out the boring bits. It has taken me years to learn how to set up my overhead camera so that I can get a clear shot. When I first became an art teacher, I didn’t have the tech savvy skills that I have now.
Even if you’re teaching online, you’ve got this. Remember you’re there to guide them, and they trust you. You can STILL create a fantastic experience for your students. BUT, I say let’s ROLL with it and take advantage of this opportunity to learn and adapt. It can literally be a nightmare to get all the pieces working. Listen, you didn’t ask to record your lessons or wrangle kids in a live Zoom call. Are you still teaching from home? Has your school entered a hybrid system? Has your situation changed a time or two? Whatever your circumstances may be, you’ve likely battled the challenges that the virtual world brings – technology failing, unexpected interruptions – the list goes on and on!