Overcoming barriers to remote teaching: Emma Handisides, deputy headteacher

EPISODE NOTES In this episode, Claire talks about overcoming the barriers to remote teaching with Emma Handisides, deputy headteacher at St Joseph's Catholic and Church of England Primary School. Emma talks about how her school has approached remote teaching over the last year including how they have maintained a positive determination in both preparing for, and working to overcome, the varied challenges that have emerged. From her school’s experiences, Emma shares some tips and advice and she and Claire discuss how other schools can continue to improve and develop their remote teaching provision.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Benefits of proactive preparation.Although schools will now almost certainly have their remote teaching provision up-and-running fairly smoothly, it is always beneficial looking ahead to consider what might change. This could be adaptations to the ways schools are expected to work or new government policies, for example. While it is impossible to predict exactly what will happen, looking at the direction things are moving in and having ideas for possible courses of action can really help. Likewise, considering what has worked and what has not been as successful as hoped during the recent lockdowns can help improve and overcome those barriers if or when it happens again. Nothing is ever the finished article.It is almost a certainty that no matter what we do, and no matter what systems we put in place, there will be unexpected challenges or barriers to learning that appear. To keep moving forward and maintain positivity, it is key that your vision for what you want it to look like, and the ‘why’ this vision is important, is continually communicated so that staff have that deep understanding and are all on board no matter what setbacks might present themselves. BEST MOMENTS “Being able to see those children in school who you are face-to-face teaching and those children at home on the big board who you are remote teaching, learning together, as one class, is the most immense feeling.” “It's the most amazing feeling to actually be able to overcome those barriers of school closure and to say, ‘we're still all together. We're still learning the same things. We're still learning all together.’” “We've booked in some museum sessions where the children are on tours. We've booked in some art workshops where it's been streamed out to the children. We're just really, really trying to continue to enhance the curriculum as much as possible because there are things out there that are accessible.” “You could see it coming: lockdown two, school closures. Obviously, you hoped it wouldn't come. You hoped there'd be a change of path. But we just anticipated it throughout. I think the key there was that anticipation that this will happen again and that we want it to look very, very different next time.” “We still have barriers. But whatever it is that comes at us, [we're] just trying to find a solution so that all children can be engaged.” “It’s having that determination, that resilience, that positivity, that 'why are we doing this?' Well we're doing this to give the best for those children, and keeping that at the forefront of your mind.” “It's not always easy. You are remote teaching. You are face-to-face teaching. Technical glitches happen all the time. But, actually, having that positivity and that determination is so key.” “We just wanted to make sure that the provision can be the best it can be. And that is something, again, that we're working, continuing even, to work at.” “If there is a non-attendance at the remote teaching sessions, we are straight on the phone. I did say to the children right from the start, ‘we will be on the phone. We will be knocking at your doors. We will be. Because it's not an option. We need you to be there. We need you to be engaged.’”   VALUABLE RESOURCES Emma Handisides - Twitter: https://twitter.com/handisides_emma Saint Joseph's Primary School - Twitter: https://twitter.com/stjs_staveley Emma Handisides - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emma.shore.754 Classroom Secrets Kids: https://kids.classroomsecrets.co.uk The Teachers’ Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheTeachersPodcast/ Classroom Secrets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClassroomSecretsLimited/ Classroom Secrets website: https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/ LIFE/work balance campaign: https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/lifeworkbalance-and-wellbeing-in-education-campaign-2019/   ABOUT THE HOST 'My mother is a teacher. I will never be a teacher.' - Claire Riley Claire arrived at the end of her performing arts degree with no firm plans to move into the entertainment industry. A fully funded secondary teaching course seemed like the perfect way to stall for a year on deciding what to do with her life. Turns out, teaching was her thing.  Three years in a challenging secondary school - check. Two years in primary schools with over 90% EAL children - check. Eight years doing day-to-day supply across 4-18 - check. If there's one thing she learnt, it was how to identity the best ideas from every school in terms of resources and use that knowledge to create something that would work for teachers far and wide. In 2013, Classroom Secrets was born. Claire had seen other resource sites and wanted to add something to the market that she felt was missing. More choice + More quality = Balance. Claire is a self-proclaimed personal development junkie and is always looking for ways to learn and improve. It's usually centred around business, her new-found passion. In 2019, Claire launched The Teachers' Podcast that hits the charts on launch and is listed in the top 200 educational podcasts most weeks. The Teachers’ Podcast is a series of interviews where Claire meets with a wide range of guests involved in the field of education. These podcasts provide exciting discussions and different perspectives and thoughts on a variety of themes which are both engaging and informative for anyone involved in education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.