Realities of remote teaching: Koren Sanderson, Year 6 teacher
EPISODE NOTES In this episode, Claire talks with Koren Sanderson about the realities of remote teaching. Koren is a Year 6 teacher in a school in Staffordshire. She is a member of the middle leadership team, has a shared subject responsibility for English and is the reading coordinator for the whole of her school. Koren discusses her experiences of the move to remote teaching and learning and shares some tips and advice based on what has worked and been successful for her and her school. KEY TAKEAWAYS Have a clear structure and realistic expectations.Share a timetable with parents. If it needs amending during the course of the week then send out an updated version. This is particularly important for children with SEND (special needs) who may struggle with change, or for those who may be finding a lack of routine challenging. Sharing a timetable allows children to know what to expect. Safeguarding and wellbeing checks.Have the expectation that children are visible on cameras, even if just during registration. Make time for informal chat to maintain their wellbeing. Be strict with your time when you’re not working.Parents may well message at a time that is convenient to them but teachers need to make sure they turn their devices off, and log out, at the end of the working day. Make use of the ‘quiet hours’ featured on the platforms used by schools. If parents have effective means of contacting school during the day, most will appreciate that their concerns and queries will not be answered in the evenings, but they will receive a response at the next available time. BEST MOMENTS “The main thing that we wanted to get across is that this is a new thing for everybody. It’s a scary process for a lot of people and there [are] so many challenges that people face with technology, with delivering the lessons.” “Be flexible. Be adaptable. Take a relaxed approach and listen to what the families are saying to us because it’s not easy – especially if you’ve got more than one child at home or you’ve got poor internet access.” “Because we’ve got really good communication with our school community, [parents] know they can get in touch with us on Dojo, they can e-mail our ‘corona support e-mail’, there’s a member of staff available at all times during the working day, so the feedback has been really, really positive.” “If parents are struggling, we want them to be okay. We don’t want them to feel under pressure.” “If systems are in place and you’re communicating effectively with each other, sharing good practice, talking about what’s working well but also just giving each other a punch on the shoulder and just saying, ‘You’re doing a wicked job. It’s not easy and you’re doing a fantastic job.’” “It’s really important to be kind to yourself. We’re not superheroes. We’re not infallible. It’s possible to be an absolutely fantastic remote teacher without having to run yourself into the ground. It’s just about that organisation and communication and making sure that those systems are in place.” “[It’s] having the confidence to say, ‘This doesn’t quite work for me. Is there a way that we can adapt it?’ Having those professional conversations with your colleagues and asking, ‘Is there anything that you’re doing that I might do?’” “My life is really busy and I want to enjoy my family as well as work. I love my job, I’m passionate about it, but it is my job. I want to give 100% to that, but I also want to give 100% to my family and if I’m feeling down and miserable, and pre-occupied with what I’m not able to do, it doesn’t benefit anybody.” “Accept that [parents are in] working families and the pressures that they’re under are enormous as well. We’ve got to come together and support one another. I do think they really appreciate that.” “For grammar, punctuation and spelling, and sometimes for the maths, I use the Classroom Secrets resources. They’re fantastic, they’re differentiated, they come with answers, they come with PowerPoints and I can upload those with the teaching slides as an assignment on Teams. It means the kids can go back through it if they’ve not quite got anything.” “Especially now, it’s so crucial to get that work-life balance and if you want to cut down on your workload, don’t re-invent the wheel. It’s out there. It’s okay to use it. Of course, adapt for your own class and to the needs of your children but don’t start from scratch when you’ve got such a good basis to use that someone else has done already.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanderson_koren HRTV – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCltEbCeBGr2l5ZdG215Hw Classroom Secrets Kids: https://kids.classroomsecrets.co.uk The Teachers’ Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheTeachersPodcast/ Classroom Secrets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClassroomSecretsLimited/ Classroom Secrets website: https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/ LIFE/work balance campaign: https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/lifeworkbalance-and-wellbeing-in-education-campaign-2019/ ABOUT THE HOST 'My mother is a teacher. I will never be a teacher.' - Claire Riley Claire arrived at the end of her performing arts degree with no firm plans to move into the entertainment industry. A fully funded secondary teaching course seemed like the perfect way to stall for a year on deciding what to do with her life. Turns out, teaching was her thing. Three years in a challenging secondary school - check. Two years in primary schools with over 90% EAL children - check. Eight years doing day-to-day supply across 4-18 - check. If there's one thing she learnt, it was how to identity the best ideas from every school in terms of resources and use that knowledge to create something that would work for teachers far and wide. In 2013, Classroom Secrets was born. Claire had seen other resource sites and wanted to add something to the market that she felt was missing. More choice + More quality = Balance. Claire is a self-proclaimed personal development junkie and is always looking for ways to learn and improve. It's usually centred around business, her new-found passion. In 2019, Claire launched The Teachers' Podcast that hits the charts on launch and is listed in the top 200 educational podcasts most weeks. The Teachers’ Podcast is a series of interviews where Claire meets with a wide range of guests involved in the field of education. These podcasts provide exciting discussions and different perspectives and thoughts on a variety of themes which are both engaging and informative for anyone involved in education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.