At the Beginning & At a Distance: ESL Teachers at Lower Levels Share Virtual Teaching Wisdom

Amy Van Steenwyk

Cedar Riverside Adult Education Collaborative, Minneapolis MN

• Don’t let yourself and your learners get overwhelmed by trying to do too much at once; master one class-wide activity at a time.
• Get to know family members who are helping by name. They are a valuable part of virtual instruction!
• This is a great opportunity to bring back learners who may have had to leave class for a variety of reasons; reach out to include former students.
• Meet students where they’re at.

Mary Lou Cox

MSD Washington Township Adult Education, Indianapolis IN

• Keep routines that you had previously; for example, I’ve continued my daily phonics instruction with a combination of videos and phone calls.
• Utilize volunteers: lower level learners benefit from one-on-one time instruction that can be delivered with volunteers.
• Incorporate a personal touch; I found that when I include photos from students, volunteers and my life in the lessons, the engagement level is much higher.
• Yes this is challenging! Keep an open mind, and maintain flexibility with schedules, platforms and content.

Miriam Bosveld

Adult Academic Program Robbinsdale Schools, Robbinsdale MN

• Don’t overwhelm your students with texts! I would love to delete every text I’ve sent to my students (passwords, website link, zoom links, etc.)and start fresh.
• Enlist family members to help students access Zoom. There are a lot of teenagers and college students home right now who are happy to help.
• Use curriculum that is not dependent on daily attendance at Zoom.
• Have some part of your Zoom class be a time for individual help, individual conversation, etc.
• If you have a multi-level class, use volunteers in breakout rooms to provide targeted instruction.