How I’m Teaching ESL Remotely
We’re all going through a bit of a learning curve—teachers and students alike. I’m now in my eight week of teaching online, so I wanted to share what I’ve been doing! There are a lot of problems and hiccups I’ve ironed through since the start of our online semester, and I finally feel like I’ve found a good groove.
Note: I am teaching listening this semester, which is a lot more content-focused than personal practice-focused (as an oral English class would be).
Before Class:
1) Plan the Lesson
First things first, I look at my chapter for the week and determine the topic. Then, I collect my materials, whether it be audio files or videos from YouTube. I always check my “Ideas book” while I’m doing this brainstorming section to see if past Megan has thought of any great ideas. (My ideas book is one of the things I always keep in my desk. See this post for more details: https://www.atlasteaching.com/lesson-planning/whatsinmydeskonlineteachingessentials).
After collecting all the materials I’m going to use, I look through them to create my vocabulary list. Some vocabulary words are chosen because they will be crucial to know in order to complete the assignments, and others are chosen for their general usefulness.
As a final step in planning, I decide what homework or assignments they will be turning in that week. I want to give students the chance to share their opinions about the topic or practice using the vocabulary we’ve learned, so I make sure the assignments reflect that.
2) Make it easy for students to follow along!
I want to make online learning as simple for the students (and for me) as possible! Learning from home comes with its own list of frustrations: Getting access to the computer, dealing with technical issues, working around the distractions of family. I’ve designed my online lessons to avoid as many problems as possible, as well as downplay any embarrassment students might feel speaking English within earshot of their family. (If students are quarantining with old-fashioned members of their family, such as grandparents, they might even be chastised for learning a Western language.) I want nothing to come between my students and their learning!
Make a schedule graphic.
I write out a schedule of each thing a student should do during our class time, and I number each file I send accordingly. For example, each week, the first task is to watch the introduction video, and the second activity is to look up and learn the vocabulary words. So, on the schedule, it reads:
“#1 Watch Introduction Video
#2 Look Up Vocabulary Words
#3 Video: Traveling to Singapore
#4 Blah, blah, blah,”
The folder I’ve sent in our group contains files that match the names on the schedule, making it super easy for students to just click on #1, then #2, then #3, and so on. (This also reduces the number of messages I’m going to get that say things like, “Teacher! What do I do now?”) To also help simplfy, I keep the schedule the same as much as I can. Each week, no matter what, the first two tasks are the same. That helps reduce the amount of time students have to spend figuring out what to do. As soon as class starts, they can just jump in!
Make PPTs.
Yes, for online learning, I’ve been making two PPTs each week (easier than it sounds though). The first PPT includes any activities, vocabulary words, as well as the questions they’re supposed to answer as they complete the listening. Then I duplicate the PPT to make my “Answers PPT.” The answers PPT will be sent to the students later, so they can check their answers.
(Note: Sometimes I have students send me pictures of their answers, to check that they’re doing the work, but I don’t require this each week. If I did, I’d be overwhelmed with messages. My students are adults, so I can ease up on the micro-management.)
3) Film videos
Even though I’m not doing live classes, I still want students to hear from me, to have the chance to see me and connect with me. I want them to remember me and see how excited I am to have class with them—some things just can’t be communicated in text!
I film introduction videos to welcome them to the class, give any important announcements, and get them psyched for the lesson. I also always film a video to introduce the vocabulary, so they can hear me say the words and hear some examples of how they’re used in a sentence.
During Class:
Our school is using a program called DingTalk, but it doesn’t really matter what program you’re using! Being in China, I already have group chats within WeChat, so I have both programs open, where students can ask questions publicly in our class group, or they can send me a message privately if they feel too shy to ask in front of everyone else.
At the beginning of class, I send them all the materials they will need. For the first half of our lesson, I let them work. I can monitor who is opening (and not opening) the materials, but mostly, I give them time to complete all the listening assignments. During this time, students are also sending in their homework assignments from the last lesson, so I’m recording that information in my grade book.
For the second half of class, I always give them more time to practice with the language themselves. For example, if the topic is about travel, they’ll watch some travel videos in the first half, then write a paragraph about their dream vacation in the second half. It’s during the second half that I’m communicating with them more. I respond to their assignments, and I also like to send messages to different students each week, just checking in with them and asking how everything is going. Students are still able to get natural communication with me and are still able to practice English themselves, but they don’t have to worry about finding a quiet working space to record a video or a voice message. Of course, throughout the entire lesson, I encourage students to send me a message if they have a question.
After Class:
After class, you’ll find me in WeChat. I’ll be answering any additional questions, since I’ve been encouraging students to study English on their own during their own free time. Some students might have taken longer to finish an assignment, and I let them know they can send the assignments to me anytime throughout the week. (You never know when a student had to give up the family computer because their dad needed to make a work call or if the Wi-Fi in the building suddenly cut out.)
Overall, my two themes have been simplicity and understanding. I want students to know that these are unusual times, and I’m just asking them to do their best under the circumstances. And because I know that anytime you’re working with technology, there are bound to be problems, I’ve been trying to keep assignments and schedules as simple as possible.
Have there been anything that’s saved you during online teaching? Share below and we can all benefit!