The first time I was a participant in a Zoom call, I was so impressed. It felt so futuristic. I thought highly of it and was excited to do another.

Covid however, like with many things we treasure, wiped out this euphoria. Zoom calls sprouted up everywhere. I grew to dread the dreaded Zoom call invitation. Here are some reasons why:

• They’re too many participants.
• They’re not engaging.
• They’re too long.
• Most are time and place bound.

In this episode, I’ll offer a remedy to each of these problems. Here are four objectives that I follow in my engaging Zoom call quest:

1. small intimate experiences
2. highly engaging preparation and discussion prompts
3. 30 minute call limit
4. recorded and made available to non-participants

I’d like to take each of these objectives and go into a bit more depth.

Small Intimate Experience

I’ve been on calls that had over 50 participants. In these experiences, only the organizers were talking. Granted, questions were raised in the chat feed, but there were few of those and they did not command much attention. I, like many of the participants, muted my video feed and worked on other things while the call droned on in the background. The participants in this scenario are more an audience. That’s not what you want. I say limit the number of participants to 4 or 5. 

Highly Engaging Preparation and Discussion Prompts

Engaging topics is an obvious key to a successful Zoom call. I accomplish topic engagement in 2 ways: 

1. I make certain that participants consume outstanding preparation material prior to the conversation. 
2. I inspire call participants with great prompts during the call. 

30 Minute Call Limit

This is just common sense. Keep the call short. I was recently on a 90 minute call. After 30 minutes, I couldn’t wait to get away from my computer.

Recorded and Made Available to Non-Participants

I have 20 students in my class. My Zoom calls generally consist of 4 participants. Zoom gives you the option to record the call, which is awesome! One major drawback to Zoom calls that consist of the entire class is trying to get everyone in front of their computers at a certain time which is outside the class meeting time. A smaller participant Zoom call can be recorded and then be delivered as an on-demand resource to the remainder of the students. They can then watch in their own time and at their own pace. I then prompt the non-participating students to submit a written reflection inspired by the prompts in the Zoom call. 

In this episode, 3 students Bernard Johnson, Christian Manna, and Emily Montgomery will describe their experiences with my Zoom call template, both as a discussion participant and watching the recorded convo and writing a reflection. 

This interview also mirrors one of our Zoom call discussions, because it’s a Skype Team Chat and all of us are in different locations. 

Episode Template

The Problem:

Zoom calls need to be more engaging.

The Solution:

Apply the 4 objectives described in this episode

Your Next Steps:

• Find 4 student volunteers willing to engage in a Zoom call
• Find an engaging topic, assign the students a resource to consume prior to the chat, and then create some provocative prompts based on the resource.
• Record the chat and then make it available to the other students in your class.
• Challenge the non-participating students to write a reflection based on the recorded call.

Conducting engaging virtual class discussions is an essential skill in modern education. You may as well get great at it! 

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In the fall of 1979, I was a freshman in a college dorm trying to adjust to my new surroundings. One thing that I’ve always done to ground myself has been to play the music that I love. I grew up in a small town in Southeastern Ohio that was not diverse. And yet, my musical taste was totally urban. I loved the Isley Brothers and the Brothers Johnson and Earth Wind and Fire. 

One transformational afternoon, I put on some of my jams, which inspired a guy a couple of doors down to walk to my room, pop his head in, and then joyously proclaim, “I can’t believe you’re listening to these jams. I didn’t think anyone on this floor loved the Isley Brothers.” That guy was Vince Trocchia and a lifelong friendship evolved from this initial interaction. 

In October of that magical year, Vince invited me to his house for dinner. I eagerly accepted. I was treated to a magnificent Italian meal and met Vince’s wonderful family. I was so intrigued by his dad Robert.

Robert was the iconic local music teacher at Fairfield Union High School in Breman, Ohio. 

His choir from a small Ohio town:

• Performed in many of the great cathedrals in the western world
• Appeared on nearly fifty TV shows
• And was named one of the top high school choirs in the United States.

It was evident from the moment that I met him how much Robert loved his life. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my future at this point, but his example impacted me. I viewed him as immensely rich. This evaluation had nothing to do with his stock portfolio.

Robert is now 86-years-old. You would never guess that when you listen to his powerful voice. He seems exactly the same to me as he did forty years ago. 

When I learned that Robert authored a book about teaching, I knew that I had to get it and that I had to have him as a guest on this podcast. Mountaintop Moments is a wonderful book for any teacher, at any grade level, teaching any subject. Embrace the message of this wise sage! 

What you can do Tomorrow:

• Select a book to help in your quest to become a better educator.
• Ask for a piece of advice from a veteran educator.
• Inject a fun activity into tomorrow’s lesson.
• Set a wonderful example for your students

Veteran educators like Robert are national treasures. Follow Robert’s directives and thrive in this noble calling.

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