Last week I presented my first in-person PD in half a year. Just like the teachers who have returned to in-person teaching, I felt blessed. What a difference: head nodding, body language, facial expressions. An opportunity to read the room. Feedback!
This in-person PD was an exception; I will continue to work primarily in an online environment for the foreseeable future.
I now realize that I took for granted in-person PD and in-class teaching. Before the pandemic, I hadn’t even considered the possibility that we wouldn’t be allowed to be in the same room as each other.
For those teachers and consultants who remain online, we must find ways to connect, to read the room, and to garner feedback, despite the limitations of technology.
What are your strategies? What suggestions do you have for garnering feedback in an online environment?