SALT LAKE CITY — For many teachers, it’s their first time diving into online schooling, and they worry that less face-to-face time with students will set them back.
Utah teachers learned Tuesday that they won’t be seeing their students the rest of the school year — at least in the classroom.
They’ll push on with online learning.
Nicole Keller is a teacher for Utah Virtual Academy — the state’s first online school.
"This is going to be hard for teachers and families — all of them," Keller said. "It takes about a year for you to really be comfortable with online education."
She’s also a mom who is homeschooling three of her children, so she understands teachers' concerns.
"They can still keep the rigor into the classroom. They can still keep those connections, but still inspire the kids to want to learn," she said.
She offers these tips:
- Engage students by using technology - hold weekly chat or video conferences.
- Lay out expectations from the get go.
- And reach out to experienced online teachers.
"I’m pretty sure we can make it through this. It’s just going to take effort and grace," she said.
Keller says teachers shouldn’t feel like they have to immediately get everything right.
It will take work to find the right mix, because every class and student is different.
For help navigating online schooling with your student, click here.
