Lecturers are up against it right now, and they need to feel supported and valued by their colleges as they provide remote learning throughout lockdown.
The teacher labour market in England faces huge challenges without further stresses being placed on it by a mass exit of teachers from the profession post Covid-19. So, in addition to continued health and wellbeing support, colleges should be helping to set lecturers up for success with virtual training that’s tailored to their needs right now.
The more lecturers are supported throughout the pandemic, the greater the chance they’ll be retained once things return to normal – and training has a big part to play in that effort.
But, with plenty on their plate already, lecturers would be forgiven for letting out a little sigh when asked to participate in virtual training. So, you need to make sure training sessions are as streamlined and as valuable as possible, so that they serve to make life easier – not harder – for lecturers. Here are tips on how to do just that:
1. Focus on areas of need
Nobody knows lecturers’ training needs better than the lecturers themselves. So, consult with lecturers on where their need lies right now. For example, perhaps they haven’t quite mastered their remote learning platforms yet, which is preventing their lessons from being as slick as they can be, and they could do with some additional training on Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams.
2. Make sessions engaging and inspiring
Social contact is limited right now, but training provides an opportunity for staff to come together and enjoy a shared experience. So, make sessions engaging and inspiring – get people talking so that they feel an active participant in the training and are comfortable adding their value to the session. While it might be unrealistic to expect them to be overly enthused about the prospect of months of remote learning, training should make them feel like they can make the most of a bad situation.
3. Record each session
Just like any training, not everybody will be able to participate in each virtual session. Particularly at the moment, many lecturers are having to juggle work with family life – an almost impossible job for parents with students who are being home-schooled themselves. So, record each session for lecturers who are having to spin plates right now, or are sick with Covid-19 or other illness at the time of the training and are unable to attend.
4. Seek feedback to improve
Just as lecturers are having to accept that each virtual lesson might not go as perfectly as they would like, virtual training sessions too might be a little half-baked initially. That’s fine – it’s better than no training at all – but make sure you’re reaching out to participants to understand what worked well and what didn’t. Then, you can apply that feedback to the next sessions so that they’re continually improved upon.
5. Send invites and instructions in advance
Our final tip is a somewhat obvious one – but it’s all about ensuring that lecturers are able to attend training sessions without encountering any technical issues. If you say that training is going to last an hour, in order to keep within the timeframe, you’re reliant on everyone turning up prepared and on time. So, give clear instructions in advance.
Technology has never been as important to the teaching profession as it is right now. As vital as it has been for the continuation of learning throughout the pandemic, it’ll play a pivotal role in colleges, ensuring they have the best lecturers post-Covid.
If your college is in a position to recruit top teaching talent, FEjobs can help. Find out more about our recruitment services and solutions by getting in touch today.