5 Steps to Stay Focused When Teaching Online

May 13

The following is an excerpt from a Harvard Business Publishing article by Rae Ringel, Brian Tarallo, and Lauren Green on May 13, 2020.

Photo of a person in a yellow sweater holding a yellow mug and resting their hand on a yellow notebook — It’s only noon; you’re halfway through teaching your third virtual class of the day, and you just can’t take it anymore. Even with the air conditioning on full blast and slurping down your third cup of coffee, you can’t stare at the screen any longer.

You feel increasingly distracted, increasingly frustrated, and you’re not even sure why. Worse yet, you know your students are feeling the same way. In your gut, you know there has to be a better way to keep focused and energized.

In-person classes and meetings are challenging enough; after all, there’s a reason why Patrick Lencioni’s book Death by Meeting was such a hit. Then came COVID-19 and everything moved online, presenting a familiar yet even greater challenge for educators: How can I ensure my classes are efficient and engaging in a virtual setting?

The good news is that, right now, as we think ahead to upcoming semesters, we have the opportunity to change how we approach and design virtual classrooms. With a few simple shifts, we can make virtual classrooms more efficient, productive, engaging, and collaborative, all while ensuring our sanity and focus as educators. It may surprise you that we can turn to the nearby gym for tips on how to optimize online teaching—and make it more enjoyable.