Teachers and students have certainly learned a lot about remote learning and Zoom video instruction over the past few years. And although 2024 has been more predictable, teachers must be able to adjust and deliver so our children can grow as learners. Whether your school faces a temporary suspension of in-person learning or you teach in a hybrid classroom every day, it is essential to have online instruction standards to communicate to parents and students.

During the pandemic, I taught both in-person students and remote learners via Zoom. Here are a few things I tried to do to meet the needs of ALL of my learners:

Keep Zoom links at the top of my agenda
Keep Zoom times consistent each day
Discuss Zoom expectations with ALL learners in case students are sick or need to go remote
Transition my Zoomers into breakout rooms daily for small group interaction
Structure my class in productive chunks to keep students engaged in learning
Have my Zoom sessions set-up, so if I need to go remote, my learners are ready for that on-line shift

One thing I found to be crucial with teaching online is to share your classroom rules and expectations for Zoom and Google video conferences. Because I worked with both in-person and remote learners, I created this Zoom Expectations PDF to share with all of my student learners.

If you are facing the prospect of online teaching, download my Zoom and Google Classroom Rules Template FREEBIE to communicate expectations with your students. I have included the PDF and PNG image files, so you can choose which file format is easiest for you!

Choose your preferred file format to download below:
Zoom PDF File (also includes a Google Classroom version)

Zoom PNG File

My video classroom rules and expectations include:

Check your sound and video.
Mute your mic.
Find a space that allows you to focus.
Be on time.
Come prepared.
Raise your hand and use the chat to participate.
Be accountable for your learning.
Advocate for yourself.

Incredible clipart by Mae Hates Mondays.

Hopefully the days “going remote” are past us, but it is best to be prepared either way. The good news is, we now have familiarity with tools such as Zoom and Google to help us navigate any unexpected changes. The key is to clearly communicate with our students so they can prepare to be at their best.