Imagine a situation where you are about to teach a hybrid class for the first time. If you have had time to prepare, you have likely planned how to conduct the lesson. However, this situation may also have arisen quickly, leaving little time for preparation. I remember these experiences well from my own teaching years, and the feeling was not always pleasant. My biggest fear was whether the technology would work and if I could conduct the lesson in a way that everyone could follow along. In this scenario, the teacher is like a circus ringmaster juggling many balls at once. When trying juggling for the first time, few can keep all the balls in the air simultaneously.

People learn by trying and practicing. You can’t master hybrid teaching without these, and why should you? Teaching in a hybrid format is a new competence that needs to be practiced. The idealization of self-direction in society has led to a somewhat false belief that teachers will adopt new things automatically without any help. There should also be time for developing one’s own skills, and the employer must create opportunities for this. There must be opportunities to try and practice, even to fail and learn from it as well.

We have been involved in the HAVE project (Hybrid classrooms in Adult and VET Education, Erasmus+), which has developed hybrid teaching in our own organization. During the project, we have clearly noticed the change related to hybrid teaching. Previously, the word hybrid often evoked negative opinions and the same kind of sweat beads on the forehead as I described at the beginning. Now, the attitude has changed, and I notice it clearly in my own work as a digital pedagogy mentor. The project has played a significant role in this change.

Teachers need practical support for hybrid teaching. Training alone is not enough; for some, it is important to have someone present at the beginning of the lesson, for instance. Doing things together is meaningful, as it also fosters a sense of community. Timely support increases a sense of security, which in turn enables learning. When it is possible to try and practice in a permissive and safe work environment, it is also possible to make insights. Insights are crucial in understanding how to incorporate something into one’s own work. If a teacher feels that hybrid teaching suits their work and subject, and finds their own way to implement it, it also enhances their sense of self-efficacy.

As in many other things, the development of hybrid skills progresses in small steps. Positive experiences increase the desire to learn more and develop further. In a changing learning landscape, new skills and competences and the ability to think and act flexibly are needed. However, staff should not be left alone in this matter; the importance of support and doing things together is particularly emphasized in these situations.