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Helping teachers find a sense of calm, balance and rejuvenation in these unprecedented times is critical. They're under enormous pressure. But how do you do that in a virtual environment? How do you nurture connection, support and community?

Two keys: relationship and instruction. Investing time and energy into these areas has helped us foster morale, focus on a purpose and create a sense of normalcy for our teams. Here's how we're doing it.

Frequent Communication

We are using a couple technology tools to maintain communication and relationship with students and teachers.

One is Microsoft Team. Teachers in middle school and high school grades have started using Teams as a learning management system to support students as they work on their materials at home. Many elementary teachers have also created groups in Teams to communicate with parents and students and provide them with free resources.

Another tool is ADVANCEfeedback, designed for recording and sharing videos and getting feedback. It includes ADVANCElive, which I use for coaching and doing check-ins with teachers. These check-ins are essential. They help boost morale and keep the educator community connected. These meetings are informal and relaxed. Teachers can lean on each other, ask questions, share wins and be there for one another as they make their way through these unusual circumstances.

When teachers were first faced with virtual meetings, some were hesitant to participate, while others readily contributed. I had to be mindful -- and respectful -- of these differing personalities. It's easy to fault a teacher for not participating in a virtual meeting but I realize now that I need to be understanding about this. Some teachers are more comfortable emailing or texting questions. In the same way, some students have not been very active participants in virtual class meetings; they prefer asking questions through chat or email. That's fine. A little flexibility goes a long way.

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