8 Things Education Administrators Should Consider for an Online School Year

Working remotely as an education administrator comes with a variety of challenges. From  communication gaps to providing the tools to help your students succeed, teaching remote can become stressful for any seasoned teacher. It doesn’t have to be, though! In this post, we’ve listed eight tips to help you with planning the next school year remote.

1. Morning and Afternoon Announcements

Each day, conduct morning and afternoon announcements live from Facebook, YouTube, or some other channel. Make it interesting and consistent to help maintain a sense of normalcy for your students.

2. International Day Of…

When creating morning and afternoon announcements, incorporate “National Day Of” into your greeting when appropriate. For example, if it’s “National Ride Your Bike Day”, have someone video you giving the announcements riding your bike.

3. Encourage Teachers to Form a Support Group

Create a virtual “teacher’s lounge” for your staff. Ensure the space is to be used like a real teacher’s lounge where they can express frustrations, accomplishments, and give/seek advice. Allowing your staff to gather in that type of space will help enforce their support for one another in a non-professional setting, like they might have done during a normal day of in-person school.

4. Weekly Faculty Meetings

Schedule a weekly staff meeting to check in on your staff, and relay information pertinent to them. Encourage educators to share successful accomplishments and projects that may not have went to plan while working from home. Asses if anyone needs additional support and follow up with them individually.

5. Guidance Counselor Tips

Incorporate your school’s guidance counselor weekly into your morning or afternoon announcements. Encourage the guidance counselor to discuss topics, such as: handling arguments with siblings, breathing exercises, and mental health. Reassure students, students’ parents, and staff that the guidance counselor is available for individual, virtual sessions.

6. Equip Your IT Team

Equip your IT team with all the necessary devices to ensure they can answer and solve any issues that arise for staff and students when working from home. Create an open dialogue with your team where you encourage them to solve problems quickly, and can easily communicate issues with you if they need your support. Check in with your IT team weekly for updates, pain points, and reoccurring issues your staff and students may be facing.

7. Work/Life Balance Tips for Teachers

Encourage your staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Provide tips and suggestions, such as: creating a schedule, respecting their schedule and not contacting them when they are “off”, host one-on-one meetings to see where your staff needs support, and supply them the requested tools.