Numerous studies across the past few decades assert that one of or the most important factor in students’ academic success is a positive relationship with a teacher. The consistency of a caring adult can make a world of difference in a students’ life. A few weeks ago, the existence of the COVID19 virus resulted in physical walls between educators and the learners they serve. Administrators, coaches, and teachers scrambled to continue to offer educational opportunities for students – from a distance. At some sites, copy machines ran for hours as paper packets of worksheets were collated, stapled, and then distributed to students. In other districts, educators worked tirelessly, sitting at kitchen tables and in makeshift home offices, to locate and digitally disseminate educational videos, digital texts, and activities via learning management platforms.
Are Video Calls our Panacea?
As the first few days turned to weeks, many districts began encouraging educators to conduct video meetings with their students. It is certainly vital to maintain the connections between students and teachers. In many instances, video calls were well received by educators, students, and parents alike. This can be a great method for teachers to foster a positive relationship with students. But this strategy is not without challenges. During a video class, students may be distracted by activities in the household, parents may be working and unable to help students log on, older students may be responsible for taking care of younger siblings, and educators may struggle to meet the varying learning needs of the students in the call within this virtual environment.
Meet Students where they are at – Virtually
We live in a world that values streaming. Students are familiar with Netflix, YouTube, and other streaming services. Speak the language of your students. Leverage video platforms that are familiar to them. Connect with those you serve by entering their world. Become a YouTuber. This might not feel comfortable. You may not like to see yourself on screen. I have faced this problem as well in the past. The first YouTube video I made, my own mother said I did look like myself because I had put on more makeup than usual! Your students do not care that the salon is not open, that your hair has not been cut in weeks. Students need to see you, to hear your voice, to connect content to a caring adult with whom they have a relationship.
And when you become a YouTuber, students can watch you video anytime. Learning is on their terms. It meets their schedule. A YouTube link can even be sent via a texting app such as Remind. A computer or tablet is not necessary to access the video. And you can select your choice of privacy settings. If you prefer that your videos are not public, select the “unlisted” option so that they will not be searchable on YouTube.
Teacher YouTuber Tips
Pre-recorded videos can used for a number of purposes. I have seen educators utilize YouTube to post videos of social-emotional check-ins, explanations of content, and read-alouds of either chapter books or picture books. A kindergarten teacher I spoke with indicated that when she sent her students read-alouds she found on YouTube, an average of 7 students viewed the videos. When she made videos of herself reading stories, every student in the class watched.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the videos brief. Attention spans may be reduced in a home environment with myriad distractions. Encourage students to pause your video and document their thinking. Students are not accustomed to this. They typically watch a number of YouTube videos straight through, one after another. Are you reading aloud a text? Direct students to pause and draw a sketch about what they visualized as you read. Did you model a mathematics strategy? Ask students to try the next one on their own before continuing the video. Let students know that they can also rewind the video if they’d like to see it again.
If you are using a phone or tablet, be sure to record your video in landscape mode. If you use portrait mode, there will be black space on both sides of the image. This will make it more difficult for students to see you. YouTube is made for widescreen images. The dimensions of landscape mode on a mobile device will best align to those of a YouTube video.
At the end of your video, ask students to subscribe to your channel. This is the language with which they are familiar. One teacher told me she asked students to subscribe to her channel and they began rewatching videos that had been created in weeks past. Some students may get a notification anytime a YouTuber they subscribe to makes a new video. That could be you! The newest YouTuber that your students follow.
As an educator, it is likely you did not enter this role with the intention of becoming a YouTuber. But I am nearly certain you became a teacher to make a difference with students. In this time of physical distance, YouTube is a channel we can use to do just that.