What is Virtual Instruction

Writing instruction in K-12 classrooms can be challenging under the best of circumstances. During the COVID-19 pandemic, writing instruction became even more challenging, with teachers shifting to online, distance, and virtual learning in an instance. With the time investment and attention required to teach writing well, teachers were faced with new obstacles and questions. In addition to understanding best practices for writing instruction, the pandemic unveiled more access and instruction inequities. Specifically, teachers found that students would engage in lessons, activities, and remote instruction at differing levels, ranging from fully invested in the instruction to completely absent instruction. Therefore, this chapter synthesizes best practices for virtual writing instruction and provides recommendations for applying these best practices for various learner situations to alleviate some inequities.