Ep.6: Keeping Your Morale Up when Teaching Black Squares on Zoom

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Teachers Teach Teaching Podcast

Ah yes. Another day of talking to yourself and looking at a classroom of black squares on your screen! We’re breaking down the reasons students keep their cameras off and how you can create a space where students engage… and maybe even flip their cameras on once in a while! Tune in this week for 4 strategies that will help make Zoom teaching more tolerable. 

Show Notes

  • Mindset: understand it’s normal
    • Reflect on your in person meetings – like the presenter who says GOOOOOOODDD MORNING!!!! Natural human behavior. Who are you doing it to?
    • Reflect on when you’re in zoom meetings, how many cameras are on?
    • Let’s normalize black squares and give students permission – and honor – them keeping their cameras off. 
  • What specifically about that makes it hard? Identify your preconceived notions about the students who won’t turn their cameras on.
    • Acknowledge the few students that do turn their cameras on
    • “Off cameras” carry more weight, more power
    • It’s also our job to make the camera “on” kid feel safe too
  • 4 STRATEGIES
  • Make a challenge/game: quickest and most enthusiastic reinforcement when that happens
  • If students aren’t responding, pull away from the content. Or, make the content super accessible. Students will check out when the questions get harder.
  • Choices: Two questions (two levels – two topics – two themes)
  • Start the course/class/whatever by showing students how to change their backgrounds, and how to troubleshoot if their background won’t stay. Set expectations. 

Take Action: Reflect on zoom meetings that you’ve been in. What is one thing that made you want to engage and how can you translate that to your class?

CTA: Share this with your teacher friends, then make sure to leave the podcast a review. That makes it easier for other teachers to find us.