Zoom fatigue is an unfortunate yet all too familiar side effect of our current educational circumstances. 视年级而定, students are logged into a video conferencing platform for classes up to six hours a day. Yet those six hours of class are just the beginning. That time doesn’t account for the additional screen time necessary to complete homework 赋值s, 阅读并回复邮件, 复习在线课程内容.
It is no wonder that students are experiencing high levels of burnout 和 exhaustion these days. Even more concerning is the domino effect that Zoom fatigue may be having—school districts across the nation are reporting troublesome spikes in spotty attendance, 长时间的缺席, 脱离, 缺乏沟通, 和, 当然, 成绩明显下降. 虚拟学习是我们当前的现实, 和 we have yet to know what the foreseeable future of this school year will look like. However, there are ways in which parents 和 teachers can assist now with Zoom fatigue.
- 教师应该有意识地组织课程, as they typically would in the brick-和-mortar setting, 但是要考虑为每个任务添加时间估计. 知道每个话题的时长, 赋值, or activity will take helps students establish expectations 和 prioritize their mental stamina.
- 从迷人的开始, 然而,相关的, icebreaker goes a long way with student buy-in from the get go. If possible, incorporate movement into the opener. 例如, ask students to take 30 seconds to find an object around them that represents an important memory. 这样学生就可以站起来活动了. It also builds classroom community 和 allows students to share out about a personal anecdote.
- Establish “No Screen” blocks of time throughout the day 和 stick to them. Meal times 和 times in between classes 和 office hours should be strictly considered “screen free” times. This is the same idea behind brain breaks 和 movement breaks, which allow for a necessary mental reset for young learners. Teachers have limited time with face-to-face online instruction; however, it is crucial that students are getting small breaks during those instructional hours 也. Something as brief as a 5–minute gap of time for students to walk away from the computer, 吃点零食, or stretch can revitalize heavy eyes 和 foggy minds.
- Encourage students to utilize office hours efficiently to reduce screen time during those non-instructional days. 办公时间当然是必要的. However, teachers can help reduce screen use by streamlining the process for office hours. 例如, tell students to login with specific questions in mind relating to the 赋值 or project. 保持办公时间的流动性, 这意味着, once students have asked their questions or gotten clarification, remind them that it’s okay to exit the Zoom early. If they have a quick question, consider an email instead of waiting to login for office hours.
- Incorporate prerecorded asynchronous videos, demonstrations, presentations, etc. 当然, 学生需要现场指导, but breaking up the session with these components can greatly help with Zoom fatigue. Incorporating small asynchronous components can also help make the lesson move quicker since students are working at their own pace.
- If teachers have finished the lesson with a few minutes in the session to spare, don’t fill that time with extra instruction or busy work. It is okay to end the session 和 give students a bit more of a break between classes. 当然, offer to stay on Zoom until time has expired in case anyone has a question, 但往往, students prefer to logout early as a nice little treat.
Close all other unnecessary tabs while in a Zoom class. 这似乎是显而易见的, but many students use Zoom classes for multitasking—这意味着 they have countless tabs open, documents 和 赋值s for other classes underway, 还有一部手机触手可及. All of these things only work against their ability to focus, thus creating more fatigue. As difficult as it may be, remind children to stay engaged with the class 和 task at h和, i.e., no multitasking unless it is related to that class in particular. 把手机收起来, 也, since this is just one more screen that’ll distract them during class.
