Tales from Teachers

We want you to share your stories with us! To get started, film yourself responding to one of the prompts below:

1. Share one interaction you've had with a student while teaching remotely that has made you smile.
2. Share how you and your colleagues have been letting students know you're thinking about them.
3. Share one thing you've learned while teaching remotely.
4. If you could give one message to your students right now, what would you tell them?
5. Share the best resource you are using to help your students.

8 Things to Know Before Shooting Video of Yourself With a Phone, Tablet, or Laptop

1. Don’t shoot vertical video
   Make sure your phone or tablet is on its side and shooting horizontally.
2. Don’t use digital zoom
   Sometimes it can be tempting to use the zoom feature on your smartphone to get a closer shot of your subject, but since the lens isn’t zooming optically, you’re just enlarging the picture digitally. This results in one thing: pixels. Move your phone/tablet/computer or yourself instead.
3. Frame yourself well
   Leave only a little space above the top of your head and make sure you’re in the middle of the screen.
4. Lighting
   Make sure you do not have your back to a window or bright light. You want your face to be well lit, so either sit facing an open window during the day, or move table or floor lamps so they illuminate your face.
5. Background
   Examine what is behind you carefully. A blank wall or a bookshelf can make a good background.
6. Where to look
   Look directly at the camera on your device, not at the screen.
7. Audio recording
   Make sure you’re in a quiet room. Close the door and ask family members or roommates to keep their voices down while you’re recording.
8. Keep track of time
   Keep your message short and sweet. Ideally, your video should be about 60 seconds long.