A is for Attitude

It's all about attitude in our virtual world - yours and your students. You need to face each day with a positive determination to make a difference in the lives of both your students and your colleagues. The first few weeks of each term are filled with challenges as you work to gel as a staff or team who are on the same page and getting the job done. You will have questions and you need to find answers with the help of other educators so you can move forward. Whether virtual or face-to-face, teaching is not a solitary activity, but better done as a collective effort.

Even though some of you are teaching fully online on Learning Management Systems, others are accessing courses or applications to fortify your content. In either approach, you are the first point of contact for the students and their success is founded on your confidence. You will have those students who will wander contentedly through your online offerings, and others who are curious but hesitant to jump in for fear of failure. You are the key.

Even if you are new to online teaching (and remember, the definition here is any use of online tools and course content whether integrated or by buffet), you are the point person for student success no matter the age of that student. While more independent as an adult learner, I depended heavily on my instructors as I made my way through graduate work. If they were confident and available, I breathed a sigh of relief because I knew I wasn't alone in wanting to succeed. Younger students, their parents, other mentors are all in need of "you" as their positive cheerleader.

Don't be afraid to help as you learn yourself. Some of my best personal learning as an online educator came about because someone needed me to help. The best response when asked a question you can't yet answer: "I don't know that answer, but I will research it and get back to you as soon as possible." Then, follow through. Ask colleagues, query online, tweet with compelling hashtags to get answers from those who can help. Your network is no longer confined to a building, a hallway, a room, and that's exciting! The unasked questions are where we make mistakes, setting up ourselves and others for failure.

We teach in a world of usernames, avatars, hashtags, email identities, and more. We can't escape that now, but knowing your students' names and using them is critical. Names are the focal point for interpersonal relationships with students of all ages, and people respond when addressed. Our workloads might necessitate one or two sentence responses but are softened when they start with, "Hi, Maryalice" and the closing is a signature sentiment all your own - warmly, kindly, many thanks, stay in touch, etc. You set the tone and yes, the attitude.

Finally, you will have days of frustration filled with grading backlogs, overly-full inboxes, phone messages awaiting response, and those mounting text messages and tweets. Focus on moving through your responsibilities with grace and persistence, and have an ongoing and shifting priority list so you can stay in control. You will be a positive role model with an infectious enthusiastic attitude. You will make a difference and students will respond.

Reflection: How do you project a positive attitude in your classroom, especially if your teaching is completely virtual?