Move the Ball Forward
Motivation wanes in the the middle of the semester. Our students are feeling the demands of school, and our contact with them online starts to feel more like business than learning. And this dynamic is a lot more difficult to navigate in the online context. The little things that keep us going, non-verbals from our students, interactions, even a simple smile, are just not there. This is when the teaching habits you’ve developed will pull you through: the weekly emails you send out, the positive tone you deliberately craft into your emails, your attention to address each student by name, your prompt and helpful responses to online discussions–all these little things push the ball forward a few more yards.
The basketball coach, John Wooden, was first and foremost an educator who cared deeply about the character and education of his players. I keep this quote taped to the bottom of my computer screen.
When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur…don’t look for the quick big improvement. See the small improvements one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens–and when it happens, it lasts.
– John Wooden
One strategy that has helped me in the past has been to keep an email folder or an Evernote note with encouraging comments from your students. When you need a shot in the arm to keep going, pull some of them up for 5 minutes and read over them. They will get you back in the game and ready to move the ball forward.
