Ahh newbies! They bring fresh excitement, fresh perspective and are a great way to build a fresh experience...but there is a fine line between energetic new teacher's implementing new ideas, and screwing everything up! Newbies can learn some tricks from the experienced, just as the experienced can be rejuvenated by newbies.
Some examples of old tricks which new dogs should be taught asap!
- Copy before you create. Many a newbie has lost forever great content that they wish they could have back, but in a digital word, 1 save overwrites the past often irrevocably.
- Keep records. yes it is great that IM can be used to reach out to digital students, but we live in a litigious world where anything you say can and will be used against you. It is a bad practice to get in the habit of using IM's without first creating some archive-ability of that medium.
- Email has tone. Tone is a literary concept that is often overlooked, but you have to be aware of it as an online teacher. Conveying the right tone is the difference between helping students and hurting them.
- Love your support staff. All schools, virtual and brick and mortar, have a group of dedicated individuals behind the scenes. Secretaries, Network administrators, Librarians, Aides, Lunch Room staff, crossing guards these people are the unsung lifeblood of schools. They often know more about what works and what fails than anyone else around. Treat them like the gems they are.
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