Set expectations with students
● Turn cameras on (this is suggested for all students but they can opt out)
● Find a quiet space if possible
● Mute yourself if you’re not talking
● How to ask a question (there’s a Zoom non-verbal feedback feature for that if you want
to use it; it’s listed below)
● Homework/classwork will be just the same as if we were in the same physical space
● Students should put their full names in the Zoom account
● Mute your mic / camera if you need to step away, and then double check that it worked
● If using a virtual background, no graphics are allowed; colors or gradients are fine
Set up a great experience for your students
● If in Zoom, change your name to this format: “First Last – Instructor”
● Turn on your camera (this is mandatory for all teachers)
● Set up your tech properly (see above)
● Test your camera and audio before class
○ Be sure to turn on HD video in your video settings
● Clear icons and distracting background images from your desktop if you’ll be sharing
your screen (hint: you probably will)
● Turn off notifications
● Silence your phone
● Close your e-mail and other distracting apps
● Close unnecessary windows and tabs
● Open all windows and tabs you’ll need during the class
● Do not multitask; act as if you’re at the front of a physical classroom
Learn and use Zoom’s features
● Record all your classes in Zoom
○ Record to the cloud for best reliability (this should be done automatically)
● Share your screen or a window
○ You can also share multiple screens (i.e. get all students to share, and switch
between screens)
○ And you can request remote control to work directly on their computer!
○ When sharing something with audio (e.g. a video you’ll play for the class) make
sure to share computer audio
● Chat can be useful for the class to park their questions; just be sure to check it!
○ This can be a useful task to divide up between the teachers: when someone’s
talking, the other person keeps an eye on the chat
● Breakout Rooms are great for partnering your students for discussion or working groups
○ Think/pair/share or partner work – 2 people per room
○ Group conversations or working groups – 3-5 people per room
○ Note: recording pauses when everyone leaves the main room and resumes when
you return (still: double check that recording restarts when you return!)
● Use polling to gauge class understanding
○ You can use Kahoot, Google Forms, or another polling site if you prefer. If you
use Kahoot, be sure to turn off points (talk to the Education Team if not sure how
to do that).
● Consider Zoom’s non-verbal feedback options for thumbs up/down, raised hands to ask
a question, etc.
Run class as you normally would (at least, as normally as
possible on Zoom)
● Start on time
● Take attendance
● Establish the goals, set the scope, etc.
● Get the students involved in conversation
● Break the students out for discussion