Running a live online lesson

Online lessons lose energy faster than classroom ones, so plan in shorter blocks and switch activity more often. Breakout rooms, the chat panel and quick polls give students ways to respond without everyone speaking at once.

Recording lessons can help absent students, but check your school's policy and inform families before recording children.

Teachers should also plan what happens when technology fails. Share the lesson materials before the session, so students can continue if their connection drops, and agree a backup, such as a posted task on the learning platform. Keep the waiting room or lobby switched on and check who is joining, so only invited students enter the lesson.

• Open with a task on screen so students start working as they join.

• Explain how to use chat, reactions and microphones in the first minute.

• Change activity roughly every ten minutes.

• End with a short written check in the chat or a form.

A sample 40-minute session

For pupils aged 10 to 12 learning at home, plan a 40-minute lesson on persuasive writing. Materials: a device with a camera, paper and a pencil. Spend 5 minutes on a warm-up poll, 10 minutes modelling a short persuasive paragraph on a shared screen, and 15 minutes in breakout rooms of three, where each pupil writes one sentence on paper and reads it aloud. Use the last 10 minutes for pupils to type their best sentence in the chat and receive quick feedback.

Keep breakout groups the same size and give each one a written task, so no group is left waiting for instructions.

Communication with families

Parents usually prefer fewer, clearer messages over many small ones. Agree which channel is used for what: the learning platform for homework, one messaging app for urgent notices and a weekly summary for everything else. Set expectations about response times so staff are not answering messages late at night.

Video calls also work well for short parent meetings, especially for families who cannot easily come to school during the day. Send the link and a short agenda in advance, keep meetings to the agreed time, and follow up in writing with any actions agreed.

Access and wellbeing

Not every home has a quiet space or a reliable connection. Offer ways to join by phone, allow cameras off where appropriate and share materials in advance. Leaders should monitor workload, since running live lessons and replying to messages can quietly extend the working day.

Key points

• Plan online lessons in short, varied blocks.

• Teach the tool's controls at the start of every session.

• Use one agreed channel for each type of message.

• Allow for students with limited devices or bandwidth.

Photos: Dylan Ferreira, Thomas Park / Unsplash