Just like an actual classroom, I was quick to learn there must be virtual classroom rules. On the first day of my WhatsApp class, everyone was so overjoyed to connect with each other that I noticed one student had posted a message in Arabic. I had no idea what the post said, so I promptly deleted it! Before I could do this, I was proud of another literacy student in my CLB 3L class who replied with the message: I don’t understand. As a result, I let everyone know our virtual classroom on WhatsApp was an English-only space.
It’s an understatement to say I was also thrilled to reconnect with my students. I was anxious to find out how they were doing during the pandemic. It had been two weeks since I’d seen my adult students in person, due to virtual classroom start-up and a week off for spring break. As each student joined the WhatsApp class, I wanted to respond and welcome them immediately. I was concerned for their well-being; Were they staying home? Were they following all provincial health protocols? How were they feeling? Like many of my dedicated colleagues, I admit that I was on WhatsApp from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. My morning teaching job had expanded to fill the entire day!
Without delay, I set boundaries, otherwise known as virtual class times. At first, I kept the same in-class hours (8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) but when I realized my students weren’t showing up until 9 a.m. each day, I adjusted accordingly. Being flexible to students’ needs in these unprecedented times is critical. Now, given Ramadan, I’ve responded by shifting my class slightly later once again; it’s from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Officially, at my LINC school, my WhatsApp class is deemed online support. I prepare weekly English lessons, comprised of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, that are sent as a paper package via “snail” mail to each of my literacy learners. (But it’s actually reaching them in two days!)
Within this new platform, I’ve been able to continue a similar routine to the in-person classroom routine already established during the first two months at school. I believe this prior face-to-face time in class was crucial not only to promote online success but to avoid learner frustration as teachers already know their individual students. Currently, I send a morning video message and an agenda I call Today’s English, followed by videos or audios to demonstrate/explain how to complete the tasks. Homework can be submitted at any time; I try my best to give immediate feedback, but for those 11:27 p.m. submissions, students know I will check their work the following morning.
One day when I sent my morning video late, due to a last-minute virtual meeting, I had a student message me: no school today teachr? Oops! I immediately sent a message: Yes, there is school today! I’m sorry, I’m late. I was embarrassed to be late to my virtual class! A good reminder to carefully model the rules and follow the routines you set. As we all continue our journey forward, I take comfort in knowing that distance learning not only serves as a way to help learners maintain their language skills, it also provides a critical connection to our newcomers that allows us as teachers, to support them during this new reality.
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