Resource of the Week
Our resource this week comes from within. Each week, I get the chance to connect, observe, and talk with all of the teachers in the building, sharing the things they've learned and what strategies they have utilized to make the most out of the educating our kids virtually. Being a part of those conversations, I have learned a lot, and there is a lot to learn from each other. This week's resource comes from the strong staff that we have in this building. Feel free to reach out to your colleagues to learn more. Thanks to all who shared the following successful strategies to share with others.
"I have been using the waterfall technique for discussions. This allows for a universal response where all students answer the question at the same time. To do this students are asked a question and type their answer in the chat. They are asked not to submit their response until I say and then you see a 'waterfall' of responses come in at once. I have students read through the answers and give shout-outs to other students. Then I read through a few and share what I like and a couple ways they could make their answers stronger. I have done this after students discuss in breakout rooms to help make sure everyone has ideas. You can also have students raise their hand to gauge how much more time is needed as they respond." - Amber
"I have found that giving students time to work on their assignment with me and with one another on the google meet to work very well. This way they can get immediate feedback and help. This also helps with late/missing work as students finish their assignments during our class time most days." - Stephanie
"Not something I did in particular, but...Earlier this week, I did a very informal poll with my homeroom and also asked students I saw in Google Meets for support about what worked best for them with Google Classroom and finding their assignments and what to do. The overwhelming majority said having everything on a Google DOC was what they preferred because it was one page that had everything on it in one place. Parents I talked to said they preferred that also because then they only received one email with what was posted vs. being inundated every time someone posted something. (For example: Math)" - Bonnie
"What’s worked for my class is meeting everyday and completing the Math, ELA and Science lessons together as a class. I have many low readers so even completing the readings together has been helpful. Additionally, my class loves working in groups so the breakout rooms has worked so well with my students." - Shelby
"I think the 3 biggest things that have worked well are utilizing breakout rooms. I have used breakout rooms to help with projects, group students based on how they are doing with the lesson, etc. The second thing that has worked well is starting mornings off with something fun; a song (It's Gonna Be A Lovely Day) or sharing about their day/weekend (plans and what happened). Lastly, I have recently been asking them how things are going by raising their hand (which we both love) or as a question/poll in google classroom/meet. This way I have immediate feedback on how they think things are going. Since I can't see their paper or body language really well on a screen this has helped me tailor instruction better. I can move on and come back to certain things with students or put them in breakout rooms, to help them understand the material." - Abby
"I've made sure to build in time for personal connections/relationships as much as possible. Also, adjusting the pace or the scale of the work that is pushed out." - Julie
"Something that has worked REALLY well for me is talking to my colleagues. Having a quick conversation on the phone to check in on their day, celebrating joys of students together, and troubleshooting struggles has helped me during virtual learning. I never knew how much you can miss adult interactions." - Heather
"I have been doing 1-2 days a week of "LIVE" PE with my 6th and 5th graders. We do a workout together, some challenging and some fun ones! It has been a huge learning experience for me and has been fun!" - Jenny C.
"When kids struggle to turn in assignments in the google classroom, marking them missing in the infinite classroom has inspired a fair amount of students to turn work in." - Ty
"I love using the features of Google Meet! The class likes doing polls and using the question feature. I also love the breakout rooms. It is so nice to pop in and out of rooms to work with specific groups without the distractions that we have in the classroom. I also love to be able to send kids into rooms and then work with the students that need more help. (The hand raising feature is great too)." - Katy M
Another Week of Virtual Learning...
After a couple weeks of virtual learning, we learned yesterday that we will be engaging in at least another week of virtual learning. I want to thank all of you for your efforts, doing a great job of teaching, and providing effective learning experiences for our students. We have come a very long way in a short time period. As we head into next week, please continue to report any students that report they are ill, or have been a close contact to a positive COVID case, or have tested positive themselves. This information is a critical piece to what goes into the in-person learning decision-making process.
Self Care
I'm sharing a graphic that shares activities that are good for one's mental health. Take a look and continue to look to incorporate some of these activities into your daily routine.
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