Lesson 6 of 7 · 6 min · 8-card deck

Behaviour and routines online

Establishing online norms — entry, mute, hands-up — and enforcing them calmly.

Online behaviour issues are usually routine issues in disguise. If pupils don't know how to enter, where to put their answers, when to unmute, or how to ask for help, you'll get exactly the chaos those gaps invite. Spend the first lesson of any online unit explicitly teaching the routines.

Common routines worth teaching: how to join the room (camera on, mic muted, name displayed correctly); how to signal a question (hand-up button or chat 'Q'); how to share work (post in chat or upload to platform); and how to leave the room cleanly at the end.

Active recall flashcards

Work through every card. Try to answer in your head before flipping — the act of retrieving is what builds durable memory.

Card 1 of 80 understood

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Practice scenario

A teacher's first online lesson is just a 30-minute routines drill: joining, muting, hand-up, chat protocol, sharing work, leaving. Lessons two onwards run with almost no behaviour issues, while a colleague who skipped this is still firefighting in week four.

Try this in your classroom

Teach online routines explicitly in lesson one.
Address low-level issues calmly and move on.
Take screenshots and report serious issues — do not improvise sanctions.
Keep a consistent end-of-lesson exit routine to avoid chaotic departures.