Virtual Teaching Resource Hub

Managing Behavior

Planning an engaging lesson requires effective instructional organization and student management.  Having your lesson slides sequenced in advance will take care of much of the organization.  Your scope and sequence will help you determine which new skills to focus on, and your observations from previous lesson will help you know which skills need review.

To manage your instruction in a virtual environment, we recommend some key strategies:

  1. planning and organizing your lesson activities carefully
  2. beginning each lesson with a checklist, which serves as an advance organizer,
  3. clearly stating behavioral expectations and reviewing them often, and
  4. using frequent behavior-specific praise.

Check out this recent article by Valentina Contesse and Holly Lane: “Tips for Supporting Students’ Behavioral Needs During Virtual Reading Instruction”

The Power of Persistence

Struggling to keep your students engaged? You’re not alone! Even the most seasoned teachers sometimes experience challenges maintaining their students’ attention during a virtual lesson. Watch the video below for a lesson featuring a less-than-focused student and a more-than-persistent teacher who pulls out every tool in her toolbox to draw her student in. Commentary by faculty from the UF Literacy Institute.

Student Response Practice

Teaching students different ways to respond during a virtual teaching lesson

 

Virtual Stickers
If you are using lesson checklists to keep your students apprised of the activities they’ve accomplished and what’s yet to come, try using virtual “stickers” instead of checkmarks to keep it more interesting and motivating. Check out our virtual sticker collection:

Virtual Sticker Collection (PowerPoint)

Virtual Sticker Collection (Google Slides)

Setting Clear Expectations
Visual Schedule Templates

Using a visual schedule at the start of each lesson serves as an advance organizer for you and your students. The visual schedule can be used as a completion checklist throughout the lesson. Use this template to create your own virtual visual checklist for your instructional lessons!

Visual Schedule Template (PowerPoint)

Visual Schedule Template (Google Slides)


Expectations Clipart 

It is important to establish and teach positively stated behavioral expectations for your virtual reading instruction. Reviewing and reinforcing behavioral expectations throughout your virtual lesson helps students consistently engage in appropriate behaviors. Keep these expectations as clear and concise as possible. Some students may benefit from visuals for these expectations. Use this clipart as a visual support when teaching and reviewing expectations with your students!

Expectations Clipart (PowerPoint)

Expectations Clipart (Google Slides)

 

Teacher Modeling

Teacher Modeling Examples

While giving students directions, it is important to include explicit teaching modeling of new activities or routines. Check out this video that provides an example of a teacher modeling two instructional activities.

 

Materials, Schedule, and Expectations

Check out this video of a teacher reviewing the schedule of instructional activities and behavioral expectations before the start of a lesson. The video also includes an example of helping students gather materials needed for a specific lesson.

Reinforcement Activity Ideas
Here are some ideas of reinforcement activities that can be used during virtual instruction:

  • Movement activity or dancing
  • Playing a virtual game
  • Lunch Bunch with the teacher
  • Virtual spirit week
  • Choosing a song for the group to listen to

Other Resources