These blended learning/hybrid models is where “less is more” is critical. When we say “less,” we're am not suggesting that students learn less — quite the opposite. By covering less, teachers are freed to spend more time supporting students in understanding, practicing, and contextualizing new information. The teachers that have embraced the idea that less is more are having more success at this moment. It is impossible to take everything we used to do in a face-to-face classroom and dump it into a remote or hybrid classroom. Go deep, but don’t try to cover as much in terms of the breadth, and allow students to engage in the messy work that is learning.

Some ideas to help make this practice a reality:

• Divide student work by prioritizing your standards; create "MUST DO" assignments, and "CAN DO" assignments.

• Also prioritize small groups/1:1 meetings with students in person; students can watch whole group lessons/complete asynchronous activities on their virtual days.

• Engage students in active and creative ways, prioritizing collaboration and shared spaces like Jamboard or Google Slides, where kids can come together and learn from each other.

• Make time for one-on-one and small group feedback with students.

• Build student conferencing into your weekly schedule to make meaningful connections with students.

• Chunk new information into smaller units and invest significant time in modeling sessions, connecting new information to existing knowledge, and guiding practice. The students’ working memory can only process a small amount of information at a time, so it is more effective to keep the presentation of new information focused.

• A present–pause–discuss format allows the teacher to focus on introducing one concept or skill at a time. Following the presentation, students (individually or collaboratively) spend time processing that information (ex. by completing a 3-2-1 simple reflection).

Always remember: Your work matters so much at this moment. You are appreciated. You are making a difference. Your students are lucky to have you. Embrace being a learner right now. Prioritize feedback from students to let them know you care.