Providing Equitable Instruction During Distance Learning

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I want to start by saying- it is impossible to be truly equitable during distance learning. As teachers, there are systemic issues that are out of our hands, that will take an overhaul of how education is approached as a nation. But there are some small things that we can do during distance learning to ease the burden on some of our students.

Finding Alternate Ways to Communicate

There are still so many students who don’t have access to a computer at home. Even those who do have access, sometimes don’t have enough devices for each child in the home to fully take advantage of digital resources during distance learning.

This means that we need to find alternate ways to communicate with these students, as well as their parents, other than just live video lessons.

  • Flipgrid, Seesaw, and Class Dojo– Students who do have access at home, but are sharing devices with siblings, may not be able to attend live lessons. These three websites allow students to communicate with you through posts, which you can respond to. They also allow students to communicate in ways other than just writing!
  • Phone Calls- Students who don’t have internet access may still have access to a phone. Google Voice allows you call parents and students without revealing your phone number.
  • “Snail” Mail- There may not be a lot of teaching you can do this way, but you can at least communicate. Heck, even if your students do have internet access, try sending them something in the mail! I’m 31 and still get PUMPED when I get mail (that’s not junk). 🙂

Pre-Recorded Lessons

If your students are able to get online, but not at the times you are doing live lessons, they would benefit from pre-recorded lessons.

  • Record your live lessons. If you’re already doing live lessons with your students, hit the record button! Keep in mind that this may involve some parent permissions so that you can record the students who are in the live lessons. But it is a huge time saver!
  • Record short lessons using an interactive whiteboard app, such as Explain Everything. This will take some extra time, but can be really beneficial to keep around for regular homework help when school goes back to normal!
  • Find videos that other teachers have already created. There are tons of videos on YouTube and resources on Teachers Pay Teachers that come with video lessons!
My 4th and 5th grade distance learning resources come with mini-lesson videos for students to watch! Each resource comes with a printable packet and Google Classroom resources!
My 4th and 5th grade distance learning resources come with mini-lesson videos for students to watch! Each resource comes with a printable packet and Google Classroom resources!

Use Printable Resources

If students have no internet access, they may only be able to complete learning activities that are on paper. If your school has a procedure for sending printable resources to students, I highly suggest finding a great printable resource!

My 4th and 5th grade distance learning resources come with a printable packet and Google Classroom resources! It can be used in either print form or digital form!

When choosing printable resources, it’s important that they not only provide practice for students, but also instruction. Choosing a resource that has a review embedded can be very helpful to students who need extra help!

Show Grace

This is a difficult time for everyone, but it can be especially difficult for families who do not have as much access as others. Families may be dealing with illness, job loss, feeling cut off from family and friends, or just stress from being “stuck” in the house with each other. This is the perfect time for teachers to show a little grace to families!

  • Be as flexible with deadlines as you can. Some of this may be out of your control, but if you are the one setting deadlines, relax them a little bit.
  • Do not take work for grades. Again, this may be your school or district’s decision. But, if it is your decision, remember this quote (I’ve seen it referenced in many places, so I cannot cite the original source): “If teachers are assigning grades right now, what they are grading is PRIVILEGE.”
  • Don’t take it personally if you have some students not participating in distance learning right now. Do what you can to help give them access, and then pass them the reins.

Although achieving truly equitable distance learning will not happen, these are some small steps you can take to help close the gap a tiny bit. Continue to do what you can!

Want some FREE 4th and 5th grade printable math resources you can give your students? Click the images below to grab these FREEBIES!