July featured teachers increase the effectiveness of their virtual instruction by building relationships and helping students throughout the school year. Virtual teachers develop rapport with students, just like traditional brick-and-mortar teachers. However, they can positively impact more students because they are not limited by their geographic proximity to the school. Their reach extends beyond commuting distance and so does the quality of instruction. See more from our amazing teachers:
Annette Rovello
Annette Rovello enjoys her remote education job because it allows her to personalize learning for each of her students. She offers them choices on how they demonstrate their learning by offering different types of assignments.
Ms. Rovello also keeps up with the school community, so she can recognize students for their accomplishments outside of her classroom. For instance, she will congratulate student-athletes on their wins and reference the school’s upcoming activities to stay in tune with her class. Building rapport helps her build relationships and become a better teacher, even when she’s not physically in the room with her students.
Leveraging her teaching assistant, Ms. Rovello uses manipulatives and gallery walks for her students to interact with lessons and bring learning to life. “I just try to mix it up as much as I can to get a positive result – and that is student engagement. That’s what we all want,” she explains.
Adriana Acosta
Certified virtual teacher Adriana Acosta struggled to engage her online students until she began building relationships with them. From there, she encouraged them to read aloud in Spanish. Students volunteered and thanked Ms. Acosta for her instruction.
One student said, “I love the way you’re giving us classes, and I love the way you speak Spanish and English in class so we can understand. I really wish that one day I can speak as fluently and as easily as you do.” Ms. Acosta says that’s why she’s a teacher.
“I do my work with passion,” she says.
Stephanie Winfrey
Stephanie Winfrey taught in traditional brick-and-mortar schools for 18 years before transitioning to virtual teaching 2 years ago. As an experienced teacher, she knows the importance of creating a personal connection with students. She loves when students share their prom pictures, extracurricular success, or exclaim that they have been accepted into college. Celebrating students comes naturally and it allows her to be a more effective teacher.
To keep students interacting with the course content, Ms. Winfrey adds gamification to her lessons. Additionally, she regularly meets with students one-on-one to check on their progress and answer their questions. It’s all about giving support.
“I love teaching for so many reasons – I always have. The reason I keep coming back is because I like my students to walk away from every day and every year feeling like they have a cheerleader,” she explains. “They have somebody in their corner that’s cheering them on, whether it be for small goals or big goals. They have a cheerleader at the end of the day.”
Gene Farmer
Certified virtual Social Studies teacher Gene Farmer enjoys using all of the teaching skills he has developed in a new way – by teaching from home. He was able to transfer all of his research and skills from his experience teaching in brick-and-mortar schools over to a virtual environment while increasing his impact.
“What I love about being a teacher is making connections and applying communication techniques to make sure the student can progress in a positive direction,” he says. “Being able to make that impact nationwide is something different!”
Mr. Farmer has observed that students across the country all experience similar challenges, and he loves being able to support them. He is pleased to provide instruction to students who would not have access to a certified teacher without his livestream classes.
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