When we went into the first lockdown in March, no-one was prepared, and no-one knew what was going to happen. Although the situation is not resolved by any means, we’ve managed to learn a lot, and we are ready to put it into place. Haloween was still a great day for our younger learners, and we're optimistic for the months to come.
So how does an English academy adapt to this rolling period of freedom, semi-freedom and confinement?
Flexibility
Well the first thing we have done is make sure that no matter whether our students want to be in class with our teachers or online, they can. We have designed a flexible hybrid class system, so we can give a class with students online and in person.
This was not easy at first, but with a little practice, we have adapted our teaching methods to ensure that everyone has the same RKA experience that keeps students coming back.
Methodology
Teaching during a quarantine is more than making sure audio and video are connected. We have worked hard to ensure that our teachers not only create a fun and engaging atmosphere, but that we adapt our exercises and teaching plans to an online setting too.
By combining carefully lit spaces, a professional approach and teaching ability, we think that the learning experience can be just as good as before, or maybe even better!
Technology
Our continually developing use of technology is one of the ways that lets us keep the quality of our online and hybrid classes high.
Right from the beginning of the first lockdown, we saw that having everything online can be confusing, with multiple emails and chains to follow.
Luckily for us, there are some amazing platforms and software packages that mean we can recreate the in-person experience. With fantastic virtual whiteboards, intelligent screen sharing and online classroom spaces for document sharing and homework assignments, we can do even more than before.
We keep our system simple and manage our classes and communication through one space - Google Classroom.
Moving forward
As we move into what looks like another period of quarantine or phases, we are excited to keep on finding new ways to explore modern language teaching. At least we can thank COVID-19 for making us be creative, develop new ideas and innovate for our students.
We look forward to seeing you in a class or online soon!
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