In response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, many institutions have closed or transitioned to working remotely and online teaching with little advanced notice. Entire offices have instructed employees to telework and stay home for an indefinite period of time while faculty pivot to teaching virtually. The resources below provide tips on making this transition to the virtual environment smoother and more effective.
New resources will be added as they are created. Please contact us to suggest resources for this page.
Community Voices
- For the NAFSA Community, Sharing is Caring, International Educator Digital Magazine Voices: International educators share what they are doing to support their students, colleagues and themselves during this unprecedented time.
Remote Work and Virtual Meetings
- How to Stay Engaged With Your Work, Even When You Feel Like Checking Out, Fast Company: As the pandemic wears on, review these ideas to help restore motivation and maintain engagement at work.
- 7 Things You Need for an Ergonomically Correct Workstation, New York Times Wirecutter: Practical tips for setting up a workspace that will fit and support your best.
- What It Takes to Run a Great Virtual Meeting, Harvard Business Review: 12 “best practices” you can implement during your next virtual meeting to be more productive and effective.
- What You Need to Know to Start Working from Home, Forbes: A beginner’s guide to being more balanced and productive when starting to work from home.
- People Are Getting Creative In Their Work-from-Home Set Ups, CNN Business: Alternative work space set ups that you can create from things you already have around the house.
- Virtual Communication: Presenting with Empathy, Duarte, Inc.: Using technology, voice, and body language to connect with your audience.
- 26 Creative Virtual Team Building Activities for Remote Teams, MuseumHack: Virtual team building activities can still be highly effective in promoting employee happiness, retention, and productivity.
- A Deep Dive Into Remote Work for Our Future of Work, Forbes: Discussions on remote work should include technology, work flow and tools for employees.
- The Coronavirus Has Brought the Dawn of the Virtual Happy Hour, Forbes: In order to boost morale and get some human interaction while still social distancing, companies are hosting virtual happy hours to allow employees to have the chance to spend time together casually.
Online Learning/Teaching
- Tips for Teaching Online, LinkedIn: Covers the basics that anyone new to online teaching should consider including design basics, communication, and student needs.
- Moving Online Now, The Chronicle of Higher Education: A collection of advice guides and opinion pieces focusing on transitioning to online teaching.
- Pivot Your Course: Adaptations for Temporary Online Teaching, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning @Indiana University Bloomington: Six actionable steps for instructors teaching courses that are unexpectedly moving online.
- Handling exams when your course unexpectedly moves online, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning @Indiana University Bloomington: Advice for handling exams in a remote teaching environment.
- Distance Learning Solutions, UNESCO: List of educational applications, platforms and resources below aim to help parents, teachers, schools and school administrators facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction during periods of school closure.
Mental Health
- There's a Specific Kind of Joy We've Been Missing, The New York Times: Why collective effervescence and human connection affect our mental health so profoundly.
- How to Have a Restorative Holiday Break During a Pandemic, The Chronicle of Higher Education: Fight the urge to work straight through the holidays by giving yourself an intentional and mindful break.
- Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure, The Chronicle of Higher Education: Aisha Ahmad offers a process for staying sane while adapting to the new normal, based on her experience living and working under crisis conditions.
- Manage Anxiety & Stress, Center for Disease Control: The CDC’s guide for taking care of your mental health during the COVID-19 crisis.
- How to Handle The Stress of Working from Home, VeryWellMind: Working from home is seen by some as the holy grail of stress relief and work-life balance. There are hidden stressors, however. Here is how to manage them.
- Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Actionable tips for self care and a list of resources for assistance with relevant health and mental health issues.
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Advice for managing your mindset and mental health in a moment when nothing feels certain.