Posted by Stephen Woicik on March 31, 2020

This is a list of tips, tricks, and guidelines for having a successful virtual classroom through Google Hangouts Meet.

Days Before the Virtual Meeting: Planning Practices

• Identify clear objectives for the meeting
• Schedule and send calendar invites to all participants and co-facilitators
• Establish a clear and purposeful agenda
• Prepare any necessary materials (slide deck, graphics, video, etc..)
• Send a meeting reminder 24 hours before

15-Minutes Before the Virtual Meeting: Preparation Practices

• Join the meeting (5-10 minutes) before your students to ensure everything (microphone and speaker) is working.
• Check your surroundings for any inappropriate materials
• Manage devices and eliminate potential distractions
• Make sure all physical materials are within reach
• Make sure your appearance is appropriate and professional
• Pull up all Slides, Docs, or websites necessary for your video conference (pin tabs!)

During the Virtual Meeting: Engagement Practices

• Start and end the meeting on time
• Welcome your students to the meeting as you would welcome them into your classroom
• Establish and/or review norms, agenda, and objectives at the beginning of the meeting
• Invite and encourage student participation
• Facilitate collaboration and creative thinking through grouping strategies, processing time, and student choice.
• Routinely check students’ ability to see and hear everything
• Allow time for student questions
• Maintain a clear focus on the learning objectives and content throughout the entire session
• Use a “closer” activity to help students summarize their learning
• Thank your students for participating

After the Virtual Meeting: Disengaging Practices

• Be the last person to leave the conference
• Make sure you are completely logged off the application
• Send a follow up message or email to summarize the learning, remind students about upcoming assignments, and thank them for their participation and effort.