The global pandemic does not only affect the students but it also affects how teachers will teach and assess their students through distance and online classes. 

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Most of the countries affected by the global pandemic are scrambling to shift from in-person classes to distance learning and online courses. Education worldwide is being thrown away into disarray by the coronavirus, and more educators are now forced to teach their students at home. 

For the past few years, educators were trained on the different strategies on how to handle and assess students' performance in-person. However, teaching in times of global pandemic has only become part of school preparation recently because of COVID-19. 

Lucky for those who are tech-savvy because they can easily adapt to the new environment, but teachers around a decade before or about to retire might have encountered some teaching problems. 

Here are some of the common challenges of distance teaching and the strategies you need to navigate with confidence:

1. Isolation

Whether we like it or not, students miss many things inside the school. Today, students begin to lose the buzz during recess time, announcements from now and then, school activities, and more. 

On the other hand, teachers cannot also facilitate activities that improve students' performance like group work, in-person class discussion, and collaborative activities. These things can disappear from the program entirely if we are not careful. 

Here are some ways to maintain the classroom dynamic and keep things personable in a digital environment:

  • Coordinate virtual group activities- Maximize the available resources that you have to stay connected with your students and co-teachers. However, be reminded that you are still a teacher, and you need to set a barrier between you and the students. Sometimes, over-familiarity is a way that students will disrespect you.
  • Show your face and let your students show your face - remember that even if you teach online, you still need to be presentable. Let your students feel that you are ready to teach them and make sure that your voice is heard loud and clear. Discuss only what needs to be discussed and nothing else.
  • Do more research. Do not limit yourself with what is inside the book; you have to research how-to-improve teaching skills in online classes. Read also peer-reviewed research on how to assess and evaluate students' performance online, which is crucial this time. 

2. Lack of motivation

Distance learning might be hard for teachers; it is even harder for students who are used to learning inside the classroom and different laboratories. Motivate the students by letting them have something to focus on. You can also do the following:

  • the time students should spend on the task
  • a measurable or quantifiable outcome 
  • a means of accountability 
  • a due date

You can try to consider gamified apps and programs as another way to motivate the students, most notably for younger years. 

3. Difficulties with online teaching tools

There were developments to enhance teaching in the past few years, one of them is the inclusion of Educational Technology. However, there are still issues that you need to address. 

Always remember that not all students have access to readily available devices. Not all also have a stable internet connection. The first thing that you can do as a teacher is to message the parents through text, email, or whatever is available to reach them. Ask them what mode of learning is suitable for their children.

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