Classroom Management Strategies for Hyflex Instruction: Setting Students Up for Success in the Hybrid Environment

Early Child Educ J. 2021;49(5):807-814. doi: 10.1007/s10643-021-01201-5. Epub 2021 May 18.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way that schools provide instruction to learners and these changes may last for an extended period of time. One current trend is the use of hyflex instruction, which involves teachers providing instruction to students simultaneously in the classroom and online. This form of instruction provides unique challenges for teachers, including establishing expectations and managing classroom behaviors. Teachers must utilize the same best practices in classroom management in the hyflex environment that they typically use in the face-to-face setting, including (a) teaching expectations, (b) modeling the desired behavior, and (c) providing timely and explicit feedback to support students, especially young children and those with disabilities, to follow the guidelines for physical distancing and to keep students, teachers, administrators, and their families safe at this time. This article provides a brief overview for general and special education teachers to apply these strategies in the hyflex instructional environment to support young children and maintain protocols required due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Classroom management; Hyflex instruction; Online learning.