Offering clarity and consistency to ensure everyone is on the same page

Daily and weekly online agendas ensure all students – whether they receive instruction in person, remotely, or transition between both modalities – are on the same page and are set up for success.

Clearly communicating the plan for learning is a critical strategy for supporting students working in remote and hybrid contexts. The plan could be a daily agenda, a weekly content outline, or even an online guide that maps out where each student should be throughout the day. In every example, clarity is key to ensure students not only engage with the learning experience but also understand the expectations when they get there.

An online agenda can be housed in multiple places and in various modalities, but the key is that all students know where to look and that everything is in one place – the fewer clicks, the better! This is especially vital when some students are in person while others are remote, or even moving back and forth between the two. Designating and updating in one clear agenda online, as many teachers do in the classroom through whiteboard agendas, all students can see what they should be doing, ensuring consistency, clarity, and a place for additional support when students encounter challenges.

A few key recommendations when building your online agenda:

• Keep it simple (especially with younger students) so they don’t get distracted.
• Consistency is key – a consistent structure ensures students use their cognitive load to digest relevant information, rather than simply finding information.
• Make it a one-stop shop and build in hyperlinks to video conferencing rooms and resources – anything they need should be made available.
• Have fun! This is a place where you can show your students who you are. Share pictures, quotes, anything that makes you and your students smile. This is where your students will be daily. How do you want to greet them?