Think about the activities you typically do during the first week of the school year. At the beginning of a new school year or semester, time is taken to discuss expectations that include how we should behave in class and around others. We create an understanding of what is appropriate in the classroom. These are class norms.
Many schools are starting this school year remotely. Remember, remote learning refers to a class that intends to meet face-to face in a traditional format, but is transitioned or started online due to unforeseen circumstances. In our current situation, creating norms may provide a sense of normalcy in this uncertain time. Below are some suggestions for developing and maintaining norms for your remote classroom.
Developing Norms with Students
Students are more likely to buy into the class norms if they have a hand in creating them. One way to do this is start with a list of what you consider bare essentials. Then, work together with your students to develop a set of norms.
Make sure norms are clear and specific. In addition, don’t have too many of them. Focus on those norms that will contribute to a successful, orderly learning environment. It would be to hard to remember a long list of norms. You can also get your students’ input on the consequences for breaking the norms. Check out these steps for developing norms.
In a Remote Learning Environment
In a remote learning environment, the learning might happen synchronously or asynchronously. Synchronous learning happens in real time, whereas asynchronous learning occurs without real-time interaction. Developing norms for remote learning will help foster engagement and accountability. Below are some tips to help you focus and prepare for developing remote learning norms.
Tips
- Raising your hand in class is simple, but getting the teacher’s attention in a synchronous class is more difficult. Consider how you will ask students to indicate they want to share. Some digital tools have a raise hand button.
- Use established signals to facilitate taking turns to avoid simultaneous talking. For example, mute when not speaking, thumbs up, raise hand.
- Consider when cameras should and shouldn’t be used. As the teacher, your video should be on so students can see you and read your body language. Consider giving students the option to turn their video on or off. Some students might feel uncomfortable being on camera or showing their home. If this is the case, encourage them to take advantage of digital backgrounds, if this is available in the tool you are using. You don’t want your students to feel pressured to turn on their camera.
- Think about the classroom discussions that will take place or the comments your students might make. Reinforce staying on topic. Make sure comments are clear and appropriate to the topic. Remind students not to say anything they wouldn’t say in your actual classroom. They should think before they speak.
- If you need ideas on where to get started, check out these Sample Remote Classroom Norms, Expectations, and Rules.
Be Flexible
Forming class norms early on ensures success and can shape the culture of the class in positive ways. However, be sure to be flexible and have realistic expectations. Remember, we are in a remote learning situation for a reason and even under the best circumstances, learning can be messy.
If you would like to explore remote learning more in detail, be sure to check out our Remote Learning Educator Certification online course. In addition, we have created mini-sessions that are available for you to view that focus on remote learning tips and tricks. If you have remote learning norms you would like to share, please comment below.
130 comments
Thank you
All schools need to reopen as soon as possible.
Yes, I agree! We and the kids need social interactions.
establishing norms with online learners creates a consistency. Students sometimes assume that because they are not physically in the room that they don’t have to follow the same norms. It’s important to discuss this with students.
Totally agree… the environment may be different, but the expectations or norms must remain to be effective.
I absolutely agree with your comment! We need to set the norms upfront
Great information for virtual teaching
Agree! No matter if the students are in-person or virtual, the same expectations are for both. Students need to get “back” into routine and be flexible with the possibilities of how the school year will look. In addition, student and staff health need to be put into consideration, because none of us would want to lose either our own, a co-worker or student’s life due to in-person learning. Especially when we can achieve the same goal virtually.
I will need to think a lot about what assignments with my students will look like. SOme of my students have no language so assignments will need to be interactive as opposed to verbal or type respinses
Consider when a camera should or should not be used.
Thank you.
TEA is doing a great job for all the students.
Thanks for the tips.
I would like to explore remote learning more in detail. I will read the information at a later time.
I will also!
Good info I like the other articles it suggest also.
Lots of good information and wonderful resources
Great ideads
Thank you
Be flexible!
Great information for teachers who are teaching virtually.
Great Article
I like the idea of choosing a virtual background to help students feel safe being on camera in their homes.
Simple and useful tips. I would like to get certificated in Schoology.
I am hoping to make remote learning seem as normal as possible for my students.
It is important to help students understand your class expectations and create a list of do’s and don;ts.
Just like classroom rules, your rules for remote learning should not consist of a long list.
Connecting to your parents and the kids is a key component to a smooth year!
Being flexible is very important!
Having a plan/ensuring that students have a uniform understanding of how to “raise your hand” digitally is a great way to prevent multiple students talking over one another during remote learning sessions.
I like this; too! Introducing new ways of doing things makes learning more fun!
good.
reassure everything will be ok
Norms are important whether face to face or virtually.
Good information. Would like to revisit in the future.
Absolutely trying times reassurance and support are going to be a key component of success
Very helpful. Will develop classroom norms with students.
I love the idea of virtual backgrounds. The kids will really enjoy this.
thanks for the tips.
Students must know expectations for a hybrid classroom.
Remote learning is going to need us to be very flexible.
Great information! It’s so important to have this in place.
This was helpful.
Will develop for students.
Support is going to key component this year to success
It’s important to establish norms with your online students. It will help make their learning experience better and they will feel more successful.
Thanks
Flexible is the key!
Great info and informative
Flexibility is the word for the year!
I like the idea of giving them the option of using a virtual background, but I dont think I will offer them to turn their cameras off.
Thank you for the information in the article. Keeping things flexible and ready for anything is a big plus.
I am learning and growing as we all are. I think everyone is working hard.
This was helpful.
Thank you for the helpful tips. Terri
It is very important to establish norms and expectations at the beginning of the year and review them as necessary. It might be daily, weekly or anytime that is needed.
Developing norms in the beginning will be helpful throughout the year… just remember to adjust as needed.
Thank you for the information.
Thanks
Spending the time to set the norms initially will set the tone for your class for the entire year.
Norms provide consistency in the classroom!! 🙂
Thank you! Very useful tips!
Thats Awesome
Looking at getting certified.
In order to have a good communication with your students it is very important to establish norms from the beginning,
We all are in together in new digital learning year . We will do great .
Good ideas to implement in the classroom
Very informative
I like the distance learning suggestions. It will be important to establish there norms at the beginning of the semester
Teamwork is the key to success
I think the norms part will be helpful this year. I have some remote and some at school F2F.
Right now is the time for grace and flexibility. TEA is doing a great job!
Looks fine.
Teachers have to be flexible these days.
Thank you and I hope we can make this work for all of our students.
Great information to start the year as normal as possible.
Being able to adapt is key.
Flexibility is paramount in an online learning environment.
It is definitely important to establish norms with your students from the very beginning.
Establishing a safe and flexible classroom will help promote a positive classroom.
being open minded is very important
must be flexible.
Be flexible
Thank you.
Thank you. I like the mindset of intention to meet face to face. That way relationship building can be a priority. Connections can be made
Thank you for this!
Great article.
Thank you! Good information!
Getting support from your team members/colleagues is going to be a must this school year.
Thank you this will be very helpful for our students this year!!
This was helpful!
When things settle down, I am definitely interested in this certification, I don’t see us ever stopping to use the benefits of online organization and student contact even post apocalypse, so would really like to be more adept at it.
Patience, flexibility and empathy are tools for success
My student’s are not paper and pencils students, the fact that we can see each other and maintain that contact is vital to our students with various levels of ID, AU, etc…
Definitely have to be flexible for our students.
yep flexible
Be flexible!
Thanks
Being flexible is one of the important things you have to do, also you might want to establish some norms for online learning so consistency starts to develop.
Establish norms, Be flexible, and communicate!
Key word for the year flexibility!
This was helpful.
Thank you for this summary of many different options and how to use them. My school will be using Canvas. I found many of the sub categories very helpful and clearly explained. Though I would rather be teaching in a classroom this helped me think through some ways I could get past my anxieties.
Very helpful
Thanks!
Norms are very important in PE. If norms are established early, it will help set the tone for the entire year. I like the ideas that were provided in the reading that would help establish norms for online learnetrs.
This a great informational article.
I agree…setting norms up front and communicating expectations for the teacher and the student will help make remote learning a beneficial experience for all. Discuss everything and put things in writing.
Great content. thanks
Thanks for the tips!
Thank you! Great ideas!
I agree with everyone. You need to establish norms for the class to run smoothly.
It will be a critical piece for having a really great experience with my students who are learning in the AB environment.
Thanks!
This is a helpful article. Norms must be established whether remotely or face to face because the first days of school always set the tone for how the rest of the year will look like.
It is important to teach classroom norms from the very beginning, this can be by you making a few suggestions, or having the students take ownership and create them. Once norms have been set, continuously go over them and follow through with consistency.
est norms will help kids feel like class is structured
I totally agree with the idea of not having too many rules to establish norms.
Reassuring everything will be okay.
Just as if we were at school together, setting the our expectations come first. Thank you for the fun examples to post.
I liked your comment about students and teachers are all in this together.
We are all in this together. The norms have to be set upfront just like the classroom procedures in the beginning of the school year.
Just as if we were at school together, setting the our expectations come first
Love this! Thank you!
For a good communications , norms should be set right at the beginning .
Awesome
Thank you for all the info and ideas.
We and the kids need social interactions.
valuable information, and the magic word flexibility.
Norms are helpful for students, family and even myself as the teacher. When all involved are aware of the expectations, class is more apt to run smoothly.
Great reminder to involve the kids in creating them.