8 Teacher Strategies for Connecting with Students Learning At Home
Research demonstrates that the best learning happens in the context of supportive, caring relationships. But how do we promote social-emotional learning (SEL) from behind a cold computer screen?
We asked teachers and foundry10 educators what they learned about fostering meaningful connection to and between students as they learned from home during the spring COVID-19 school shutdown. Here’s what they’ve learned and plan to apply to the virtual classroom as schools remain closed this fall.
Warm Up the Digital Space
Try a quick icebreaker at the beginning of class to get students settled in.
- Ask everyone to indicate how they’re doing with a fist (not great) to up to five fingers (doing great!).
- If students have cameras on, a simple “Is this statement true” game where they can raise a hand if something is true. Example prompts: I have a sibling, I like chocolate, I play soccer.
- With a small group, having students share at the beginning of class in response to a prompt (one fun thing you did this summer, something you are looking forward to, if you could design a robot to do anything: what would your robot do?). Respond to each student’s share and ask some simple follow up questions.
Meet the Pets!
“Give students opportunities to share their worlds, when comfortable doing so. Meet the pets! Have them do a scavenger hunt and then share. Do a show-and-tell of an object that represents something important about them. Maximize opportunities to share work with one another. Posting work to Schoology discussions worked well for this — the teacher can moderate what gets posted and students have the opportunity to be “seen” by their peers,” — Susan, 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher.
Virtual Lockers!
Students can create virtual lockers using Bitmoji Classrooms. A fun, easy activity that adds a little sense of normalcy. — Chelsi Gorzelsky, foundry10
Give Students Time to Talk
Build in time for students to talk to each other — could be Zoom breakout rooms where students have to solve a problem or discuss something together, or an online forum where students can chat with each other virtually (for older students). It can be helpful to create youth-led spaces without an adult in the “room” where youth can talk to each other about what they’re struggling with and what they need, and bring suggestions back to the teacher.
Peer Check-ins
“We actually did a group project and students had to check in with each other. I think that worked for many.” — Melissa, High School teacher
Survey Says it All
“Last year I did a lot of online discussions and surveys. Kids seemed to appreciate it, and respond well to them. Physically in class we’d have a lot of discussions regarding whatever we’re doing. Maintaining this as often as possible via virtual (online) seminars, break out rooms for lit circles, etc will help.” — Lisa, high school teacher
- Try PollEverywhere. Requires participants to go to another website (complicates things), but then super interactive (word cloud, open response, polls, visual choosing).
Offer Extra Feedback
“In the virtual classroom, students can feel like the work they are doing just disappears into the ether, so giving them feedback, acknowledgment, comments, and interaction around things they are creating is so important!” — Lisa Castaneda, CEO foundry10
One-on-one time
“I Zoom with each of my students once per week so we get a half hour of 1-on-1 time where we can work on math or if they’re having a hard time we can talk about what’s going on in their life.” — Ryan, special education teacher.
To learn more about foundry10, follow us on social and subscribe to our monthly Newsletter.
Twitter: @foundry10Ed
Facebook: @foundry10
Instagram: @foundry10
Linkedin: @foundry10
