100% Engagement with Whole Brain Teaching (Virtually)

 What is the burning question for educators in 2020 and beyond?  Easy…HOW DO WE KEEP OUR STUDENTS ENGAGED DURING DISTANCE LEARNING?  There are a multitude of virtual platforms we can use to engage our students:  Nearpod, Peardeck, Padlet, FlipGrid, Jamboard…the list goes on and on.  These platforms are phenomenal and I would have a hard time teaching successfully during distance learning without them, they engage our students and allow for a degree of collaboration.

 BUT, if you’re looking for 100% engagement while supporting your students’ social-emotional growth, I have the answer for you…WHOLE BRAIN TEACHING!

“Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn”  Benjamin Franklin

Whole Brain Teaching is based on neuroscience research indicating that learning is not one-dimensional.  Whole Brain Teaching engages multiple areas of the brain while allowing students to engage in active and authentic learning experiences, while activating prior knowledge and integrating new information.  By incorporating hearing, seeing, speaking, moving and reasoning students can create memories stored throughout the brain instead of just one area.

Enough about all the research, does it work?  YES, IT WORKS!  How do I know?  Because I use it, every day! My students are all participating, regardless of their learning style, learning ability, or background.  This learning empowers the students, they feel successful and they are motivated.  I looped this year with my kiddos (meaning I moved up with them from 1^st to 2^nd grade).  I have seen amazing growth and retention of concepts previously taught with whole brain teaching techniques from first grade.  I have been able to take my students into a deeper understanding of concepts because they have retained the basic skills taught to them last year.  I have even witnessed my students using the phrases, gestures and movements to walk themselves through questions while taking online assessments. 

So, are you ready to try it out in a very simple fashion? Here’s how to implement the Whole Brain Teaching Basics during VIRTUAL LEARNING:

1.  Attention Getters, or Class Calls:  Whole Brain teaching uses the call “Class-Yes” with adorable variations such as “Classity Class-Yessity Yes.”  In these examples, a teacher says the first part, such as “Class” and students respond chorally with the second part such as “Yes” and immediately put their eyes and ears on the teacher.  I use these, but I also use a variety of other Class Calls that get my students attention based on what we are learning.  I use “Choose-Love” and they give me the “heart” sign with their hands, “Are you ready?-Yes We Are!,” “Spotlight, spotlight-Shine, Shine, Shine!”  Pick the ones you love and that work for you, the bottom line is if you don’t have their attention, they’re not learning.  They need to know that when you call the, they stop what they are doing, unmute and respond with their call, have “EYES AND EARS” on you and  “Frame Up,” which means their faces should be in the frame of their square on Zoom.  Once they unmute to respond, they immediately go back on mute and they are all immediately paying attention.

 

2.  Brain Engager, Mirror Words: This is when you are using the gestures to engage your students’ motor cortex and visual cortex of their brains, amplifying their learning.  The teacher says, “Mirrors On” or "Mirror Words" and puts his or her hands up, the students mimic the teacher.  The teacher then creates hand and body gestures to go with the concept or key learning. The students mimic each set of gestures and words.  Do what makes sense to you, and what you can remember from time to time (because if you forget, your students will most definitely call you out).  Each set of words should have a gesture.  Be silly, be creative, the kids will love it…and remember it!  At this time, the kids should be muted because they all need to hear you and practice the movements.  When finished, the teachers says “Mirrors Off” and puts his or her hands down and the students mimic this as well.  I have found this must be repeated a few more times than if we were in person.  After all, we are in a virtual world.

 

3.  Direction Instruction, Lesson Chunks:  This is important!  You are teaching or presenting one new point at a time while using Mirror Words.  You chunk the lesson so it is not overwhelming and so the students can remember the key points.  The idea is that the more you talk, the more kids you lose, ESPECIALLY ONLINE!  Mirror Words should no more than one minute long for the students to be able to retain the information. This is the direct instruction part of your whole brain teaching where you are actually teacging parts of a concept.  The chunks online need to be hand motions the students can see, I often practice in Zoom before the students come on to make sure my hand motions are in the screen and can be easily seen.

 

4.   Collaborative Learning, Teach-Okay:  Now it’s your students turn to be the teachers, and they will LOVE to do this, they cannot wait!  You are activating your students’ Broca area of the brain as they teach others, Wernicke area when they are listening to their partner, and Limbic system when they feel success and happiness with learning.  You clap your hands twice and say “Teach” they clap their hands twice and say “Okay.”  In the virtual world, they can turn to an imaginary partner, a stuffed animal, a sibling, or my favorite, a partner from the class that they see on the screen.  They then “teach” the same quick lesson you just taught with a lesson chuck during Mirror Words, gaining confidence as they proceed.  In person, they will learn to take turns “teaching” but virtually, since we are all muted, they will continue to teach until you call the students back to attention. You can choose to have one child unmute and be the “teacher leader” at this point, guiding the class through Mirror Words and Teaching the lesson. 

 

5.  Internalization:   How can you tell if they’ve internalized it?  They will begin paraphrasing the lesson, putting it into their own words or adding their own gestures.  This is great, encourage this!  To do this, put them in a quick breakout room with 1 other partner.  My students are assigned a number and letter (think Kagan), so I will quickly tell them which letter goes first.  I put them in a breakout room, and they take turns “teaching” each other the concept.  This is how I can simulate partners as if we were in class.  I pop into breakout rooms to monitor and help as needed.  When we return, I will always point out creative ideas, add-ons, or new synonyms used to make the learning their own. 

Here is a quick video of my students virtually using Mirror Words, Chunking, and Teaching-Okay with an Attention Getter at the end.  

That’s it!  It’s not hard, but the benefits are enormous!  The whole process doesn’t take very long.  Students at all grade levels enjoy this.  They can take ownership of their learning and they can feel successful.  Watch my spotlight videos for tricks and tips on how to incorporate Whole Brain Teaching into virtual learning in order to get 100% engagement!

 

Teaching with my WHOLE BRAIN,

Roni Weink

Math Academic Vocabulary Use In A Low Risk Activity - Desmos

I have struggled these first 70 days of school trying to find a routine that works for me – planning a lesson, developing the lesson, implementing the lesson and reflecting on the lesson.  Now, to do that for three different classes was at times overwhelming.  I have come to find a routine that works for me – I hope that you have as well.  Remember, no one can tell you that you are doing it wrong because no one has been in this situation before – so find a routine that works for you and your personal life.

 

After finding a routine, I then was able to try and refine my lessons so that I could engage my students in a better way.  Some days are better than others, of course.  As I develop ideas for engagement I do try and keep myself grounded to a few common agreements.  One, is the idea meaningful and relevant to my students?  Two, is it tied to the state standards?  Three, can I use the idea next year when we return to in class instruction?

 

One engagement tool I have found useful is called Desmos.  It is a tool for 7^th and 8^th grade Math.  Desmos allows the teacher to view in real time student responses and accuracy.  Desmos has activities that are aligned directly with Eureka Math in certain modules.  There is also a large bank of teacher created Desmos Activities that can be used or you can create your own.

 

The one activity I want to mention today is called ‘Polygraph.’  It is a low stress activity that every student in the class can do and give teachers data on each student.  I use this activity at the beginning of a unit and at the end of a unit – to gather data on students’ academic vocabulary use.  It is great to see the growth students exhibit at the beginning of the unit with no formal academic vocabulary given to the end of the unit where students have been exposed to the proper vocabulary.

 

In ‘Polygraph’, students are randomly paired with another student in the class.  One student selects one slide from a group of different slides.  The other student asks yes or no questions to properly identify the slide that was chosen.  The first student can only click ‘yes’ or ‘no’ after the question is posed.  While this question and answer time is happening, the teacher can in real time monitor what each student is asking.  This can be useful because the teacher can pause the activity at any time and give praise to good questions and the words being used.  At the end of the activity, the teacher can review what each pair of students asked to informally assess the use of academic vocabulary.  And at the end of the unit, the teacher could revisit the activity to see the growth in academic vocabulary use.

 

Students find this activity to be low risk and challenge themselves to complete as many ‘games’ as possible in the allotted time frame.  By the end of the unit, students use more precise language in their questions and usually when they rate themselves find that they are better at the use of mathematical academic language.

 

Below are some screenshots of the Desmos activity I used in 7^th grade last week to start the unit on Unit Rates and Proportional Reasoning:

 

Students choose one of these cards:

Teacher view of what students are asking in real time:

 Here is a link to a bank of Desmos Activities that you can use in your math class.

 https://sites.google.com/site/desmosbank/  also  https://mtbos.org/desmosbank/

Again, there is no right or wrong way you are conducting your class – find a routine that works for you and then start to try some small new engagement activities in your lessons.  I do wish each of you much success and peace of mind during these difficult times.  Please reach out if you have questions about Math 7/8 – I will do my best to offer my thoughts as I too struggle with finding all the right answers during this time.

Finally, give yourself 'grace' during these difficult times and if you are giving yourself 'grace', then give yourself more,

Kevin Stott

De Anza Middle School

Math 7, Math 8, Integrated Math I

Maximize your online instructional time.... Transitions will not be the death of you!

I wait until all the families walk out the door before I take a long deep sigh! As I stand at the front of the empty classroom, I hope that I don't become accustomed to this setting. Many unknowns would present themselves this school year, but I was just thankful that orientation was successful and all students had received their materials to be successful for the next day-the first day of school! Like a kid on Christmas, I was anxious to teach my students and expected responses such as "I didn't get that.", "My mom has the folder. Can I go get it?" "What book?" or "I can't find that. " when I asked to get a resource. However these same phrases are the ones I heard for the next week or the week after that or "Can I go grab that its insert any other location than their learning space here.
While my kids saw a patient teacher I was being haunted by the lost instructional minutes whether it was mid hour transition or a transition right after break. I already felt like I was teaching the bare minimum with all the technology bumps, and I was torn between waiting and starting. How is this even possible?  I would think to myself. At orientation I explained the importance of having all materials ready. I even placed all their books in their own personal box and any loose items in a Ziploc bag for each student. Until one day I decided to do a few more changes and this time it stuck! With these few implementations - lost instructional minutes were no longer a thing and my students and I could now truly flow through the day. 

                                                         Adjusting your schedule 

Schedule before adjustment

Schedule after Adjustment

I'm sure you just cringed when you read the heading. I'm sure you rearranged your schedule countless of times. How do I know? Trust me because I did do. I would find my self writing 5 or 6 mock schedules just to find a way to fit in this activity or that or how to get another 5 minutes. The problem was I was trying to find more time instead of maximizing the time I had. So I had to take out activities that were taking longer that I wanted and embed them a different way. I had to readjust not only what was best for me, but also my students. Being in 3rd grade, I had to realize they weren't tech savvy as my 4th or 6th graders and in reality they were still 2nd graders. So even though we are learning online don't forget to give yourself grace if it takes some time to integrate more online platforms. If you are transitioning in between a block with no breaks, consider splitting up your blocks so each block students are only focusing on one subject. For example, for my 9:10-10:10pm block I had 30 minutes of ELA and then 30 minutes of Math, but I was losing minutes between the transition. So I changed the whole block to be just ELA and that way students only needed to have their ELA materials out (which was already a lot). This helped out so much because instead of having students navigating between 8 books in all ( Wonders curriculum and Module curriculum consumables) they only had to worry about the Wonders books and that seemed more manageable. IF you simply cannot do this - embed a transition timer into your hour of 2 minutes or so and minimize your break time by that amount. 

Use a Google Slides Timer 

Picture of my Eureka Math transition google slide

5, 4, 3 2, 1... Great Job Jaime gets a point! Alex gets a point! This was me in the classroom and it worked like a charm. Granted you can do the same thing on zoom, but it just isn't the same. If I get to 1 and Sally is still scrambling to find her book or is out of the camera shot running around the house that does me no good. So what n
ow? I would say the same thing every day - grab this, grab that, make sure to use the restroom. Since my transitions happen after breaks this works perfectly. Now I'm saving my voice by creating a google slide that has all the information I would say for any occasion. It has visual reminders to turn off the mute and video buttons. A visual of what materials need to be ready when they return and even reminders to use the restroom and grab a quick snack.  What's great about this?  Since they have a visual timer, students don't have to keep running to the screen to check to see if you are on. If parents walk past their screen they know that they are on a break and aren't goofing around and can support with gathering materials. The best part is holding students accountable when break is done. If they return and immediately have to use the restroom - they can't say that they didn't hear or you were frozen or glitchy and now if they have to run around their house to find that materials it's okay because its their time not yours! If you would like a copy of my transition slides click  HERE

Make Transitions Educational or Socioemotional 

Lets say your transitions happen mid hour what can you do? Something I have done is first I ask all students to hold up said materials and the student who doesn't have it they will stand up and go look for it. While that student is looking for it I will play a catchy math song that they can sing along to. Some other activities may be fluency for math (multiplication facts, vocabulary, etc). My personal favorites are from Numberrock Math Videos.  For English Language Arts (High Frequency Words or vocabulary). Yes that student may be missing out on this activity, but it wont be the anchor of your instruction and so knowing that provides a little relief. You could also do a fun Class building activity of Would you rather? A fun game where students decide what they would rather do. Which one doesn't Belong? A fun reasoning game where students look at shapes, numbers and objects to see which one is the odd man out. Greatest thing? Everyone could be right. This or That? Similar to would you rather, but a fun question that will help them make an ultimate decision. These little interactions will help you destress and focus less on the time and more on your student's interests. The best part? That kiddo who just seem to have their items ready will definitely not want to miss out!

Now the reality is that will these 3 steps solve all your transition problems? No, but its a start and that's a step in the right direction! Don't forget that sometimes things happen beyond our control, be it zoom issues or slow internet or whatever may seem to be going wrong, but hopefully these few steps will make you feel like you have just an ounce more control over this year. :)

                                                                    Lively Teaching,

                                                                    

                                                                    Jessica Magana

Procedures and Routines Are What We Need!

As classroom teachers, we are used to teaching and strengthening classroom routines and expectations. You work with your students to determine class procedures, like how to transition from one subject to another or when and where to turn in their homework. 

This school year, we've had to create a whole new set of norms and expectations, but they are still based on what we know and teach
regularly. 

What norms do you need to set, and how can you do so effectively? 

1. Norm #1-Keeping Clear Concise Expectations

Helping students understand what is expected academically, socially, and behaviorally is key to running an effective classroom, which means we need to prioritize this concept for online teaching. I mean, seriously-How many of you still have kids ask to use the restroom the minute they return from virtual "recess"? I do!  Interpreting your expectations is key to a well-run classroom, whether it's virtual or traditional. If students don't know what the rules are, they probably won't follow them. Students entering the physical classroom are exposed to a rule-based system. For online learners, class participation and academic goals are now being infused into our students' homes where they can be easily distracted with home life.  

The communication of classroom policies is an ongoing conversation rather than a chiseled law. Remember that the physical classroom is a consistent experience for students, but homes are not. Consistency is key.  Consistent schedules and routines create a sense of normalcy and comfort for students, especially young learners.  I have made sure to keep the same routines I use in the physical classroom and have adapted them for online learning. I have a daily schedule that I stick to and like to use repetitive activities, songs, and videos to offer security. Students can expect a particular flow in your classroom, so you want them to have the same in their virtual classroom. For example, I like to use a poster of Rules for Good Listening in my classroom. It has a boy using good listening strategies. I say, "Who looks like Buddy" (that's his name), and my students immediately react and look like him. I sent home a small-sized Buddy poster with each student. Their families taped it next to the computer. Now I say, "Who looks like Buddy?" and I have their attention. Students know to cross their fingers to use the restroom. They know callback routines are expected. The list goes on. My point is that the routines are taught, practiced, and expected. 

I also created a survey that you send out, asking students their feedback on how things are going and what they need to be successful. I sent the same survey to their parents. Just like in the physical classroom, it takes a village. Most importantly, in these times, we need to use the feedback we receive and be flexible in revising or personalizing our classroom policies and routines when necessary to meet the needs of all learners and their families.

Norm #2-Provide Materials Needed for Success

Exemplifying clear classroom expectations and procedures is only half the battle in ensuring that all of our students have the tools they need to be successful in our online classrooms. It is just as essential to ensure they have the materials necessary to accomplish your set goals. The word materials take on a new meaning in a remote learning environment. In addition to what we regularly provide - texts, workbooks, and supplemental materials (whiteboards, manipulatives, etc.), we can also take advantage of all the fantastic online resources given to us in the last few months. I am immensely enjoying Seesaw, Zoom Polls, a wide range of online learning videos, Lanschool, and Peardeck. Also, I try to make an effort to keep a record of the materials that students need.  I regularly ask who needs pencils, dry erase markers, highlighters, books to read, etc. Then I ask families to do a quick school pick up to resupply them with what they need. Remember, a well-prepared student is a successful student which will make your life a lot easier.  

After providing students with what is needed, it's important to reinforce the procedures to successfully use these materials and the best way to organize them. Students need to be taught and guided on the importance of knowing where their materials are and accessing them quickly to maximize instructional time. Now that I am too working from home, I tell my students that I also have to stay organized. I help them understand that if I'm not organized, I cannot be a good teacher; just like they are unorganized, they cannot be responsible students. I even show them my 100's of Post Its, that keep me organized and accountable! You know you have them too.      

Norm #3- Never lose the encouragement and positive feedback. 

Positive feedback is key to instilling self-worth, confidence, and motivation in our students, but for some students, those kinds of interactions are hard to come by in their lives outside of school. This makes it that much more critical that the classroom should always be a safe and encouraging environment. Encouragement is a crucial classroom routine that cannot be lost in online learning. Without any encouraging words, learners are likely to shut down. In online learning, you can use some of what you've always used-positive praise and cheers, Dojo points, and smiles. But I know we need more, right? I've been using digital sticker/brag tag books on Seesaw. What kid doesn't love a sticker? My kids get stickers for attendance, I-READY, Reading Counts, behavior, celebrations, and completing asynchronous work. Students can view their individual books on Seesaw. I also have been sending home "Happy Mail"- This is a positive note of encouragement or certificate for going up in fluency, passing an I-READY test, or reading books on EPIC. After starting this, some of my kids read over 300 books on EPIC, and I have had almost 100% complete their I-READY and Reading Counts assignments daily!

 

 




 

Direct, positive teacher feedback will always be valuable, whether in person or online, to students and their families. I like to take advantage of online learning and praise not only students for their hard work but also their families. I've been so impressed with the amount of time and effort my families have put in to support their children.  I am always singing their praises and building that relationship because, again, it takes a village. Lastly, I've always believed in the power of peer praise. I am teaching my students to cheer and praise each other for their accomplishments. It's heartwarming to hear my students praising each other online!  

So remember never give up and keep on modeling those expectations, providing reminders, and giving students ample opportunity to practice. Don't forget to praise your students and yourself. You're doing great! And remember to give your students and yourself grace as we all adapt to this new learning environment.

Positively Teaching,  

Randi Muehlen

Surviving Online Learning

    As many teachers would agree, we were not trained or prepared to teach students online during a global pandemic. In March, we had to search for resources to help us finish the year online. For some, it was hard but manageable. While for many others, it was a difficult transition. Many felt lost and confused about where to go and what to look for. They were struggling with teaching online. What I have discovered during this pandemic and "new" normal is that as teachers, we always roll with the punches and make things work to the best of our ability. What works for some teachers may not work for others. What everyone needs to do instead of judging what others are doing is we need to give each other grace during this time. If you are struggling to survive, do not worry, I am too. I am in survival mode. Below are a few tips on how I have learned to survive during this time.

    First, I did some research and found many teachers on TpT that I have gotten resources from have social media and blog posts. Many have worked tirelessly to turn their products into Google Docs, Nearpod, Boom Cards, and Seesaw resources. They have also posted how to use their resources and share ideas of what they are doing in their classroom. I found this extremely helpful in discovering what works for me. As teachers, I believe we are one of the most generous communities out there. There are many teacher sites that share ideas and resources for free! There is a group on Facebook that shares Google Classroom Ideas. But, my absolute favorite is Bitmoji Classrooms!! You may have to request to join these groups, but they share awesome resources. The Bitmoji Classroom group shares tons of Google resources that you can use with your students!! I teach kindergarten and they have many phonics and reading resources. They are willing to share as long as you give the creator credit and make a copy of their document. This is a game-changer and has saved me time and energy of creating my own resources! They also have teachers that share Wonders and Eureka Math resources, you just have to search for them. I use a Wonders Google Doc every morning with my students. It does take time to look through these resources, but I promise it will be worth it!

    Next, collaborate with your grade level team. This will save you time and energy. If each member shares what is working for them and what is not working, you can encourage and support one another through this. Building a community with your grade level team will not only help each other but your students as well. Use each other as a resource! They can help you if you are struggling with ideas. I understand that not all grade levels work this way, but at least try to find one person you can go to. I have that person and I talk to her daily through text and email, plus we Zoom as often as our schedules will allow us to. She has been my lifesaver! She has been there to offer support, vent to, and to plan with. She has had great ideas and kept me from falling apart. I have also returned the favor and given her resources, ideas, and support when needed. 

    Finally, give yourself a break! No one knows what is expected during this pandemic. None of us have ever been through a pandemic and switched from in-person to online learning in the blink of an eye. There are no exact guidelines on how this should work and what we should be doing. We have no control over it. However, we do have control over how we respond to it. We can overly stress about it and let it take control, or we can just breathe and take it one day at a time. You are not the only one going through this. To quote High School Musical, "We're all in this together!" Take breaks when you need them. Go for a walk, exercise, read a book, talk to friends and family. Don't let this stress take over your life! This too shall pass. I have discovered that watching reality tv and playing with my new Siberian Husky has given me that much-needed distraction. I have learned that I am not going to be as amazing as some other teachers I know and I am not going to be 100% great at this, but at least I am trying daily. I am not giving up, I am doing the best I can, and most importantly I am there for my students. I bet they are having a much more difficult time than I am with online learning. As long as my students are learning, they are engaged, and they are having fun on our Zoom, that's all that matters right now. Remember, you are their break from their home life and you give them something to look forward to every day. Give yourself time and grace during this time! It will be alright. 

We Got This!

Marcy Mesa

Forever in the Middle: Zoom Chat Participation

 

Zoom Chat Participation Made Easy

When we started distance learning this school year, I felt like the most time during my day was spent filling in attendance records and tracking participation. It took HOURS of my day; there had to be an easier way. I tried using the Zoom attendance report or the Zoom chat to track participation and attendance but it still required quite a bit of work on my end to manually cross-reference my roster and the reports. 

That's when I showed my husband what I had been doing. He took a look and immediately saw an opportunity for improvement using automation through Excel. He and a friend put together a template on Excel where all attendance and participation counts are automated based on chat and attendance reports. 

I make it a point during my Zoom lessons to ask students to respond to questions in the chat. This encourages whole class participation and students can select to respond privately to me or the whole class. With Middle School students, it's not always easy to tell if they are actually paying attention to the lesson so this allows me a way to keep track quickly and easily so I know who to follow up with.

 Now I can take attendance in under 30 seconds and can also track participation in about the same amount of time. It gives me an immediate idea of who is engaged and who isn't. It has been a complete and total game changer! See below for a video walkthrough of what it can do or skip ahead for a step by step guide. Here is a template you can use yourself. 

Click here for a video walkthrough of how to set up and use the template

A step by step guide to using the template

1. Set up the spreadsheet in columns A and B with student last names and first names. You can copy and paste these from your roster on Q. The template will automatically switch the names as they appear on Zoom (First then last name).

2. To take attendance, open the Zoom report and click on "show unique users" then export it. It will open in Excel. Copy column A which contains the student names. Then paste it into column F of the spreadsheet.

3. To track participation in the chat, open the saved chat from your files. It will open as a text file. Then select all and copy the text. Click on cell H3 of the template and paste. This will paste all student responses from the chat. The spreadsheet then extracts student names from the chat history and counts how many times they responded. The counts then show up in column D of the spreadsheet next to each student's name. 

Keep the magic alive (even through Zoom),

Kandyce Valverde

Building a Virtual Class Community

The first couple of weeks of virtual teaching were rough. I cried often. For me, the most
challenging part was coming to the realization that I'd have to do everything completely different than I have for the past twelve years. I needed to find a new groove AND get my students to find a new groove also. I understood that it wasn't just more challenging for me, but also entirely different for them. Like me, they were used to collaborative community building activities the first couple weeks of school: Find Someone Who? Getting to Know Me, Teacher Investigations, etc. I was at a complete loss on how to create an interactive, virtual community. 

After days of figuring out how I could re-create my cheerful, lively classroom, I started doing some research. As usual, I found many tips and tricks on different social media platforms. Teachers across the country were struggling like me. They were looking for ways to recreate their lively, interactive classrooms. I poured over countless blog posts and slowly started to rebuild my classroom community. It's far from where we usually are in November, but it's also far from the first couple of school days. 

*Please note: I'm not here to say that I have it all figured out, but I don't cry daily, so I feel like that's a start.  

Here are three things I'm doing to help me connect virtually with my students:

1. Attendance questions

Where I first found this idea?

My research led me to a wonderful teacher on Instagram, The Townie Teacher. She is super inventive and shares her resources for free! One of her resources that I've been using daily is "The Ultimate Attendance List." 

What is it? This idea is very similar to restorative circles or check-in questions. This resource (linked above) is a list of "this or that" and my favorite questions. Students have to think about how they will respond and share their answers with the class. 

How I use it? I choose five each week and type them onto my "Get Ready" slide for each day. I refer to them attendance questions, and my students now know to share their answer by un-muting and saying it aloud when their name is called. Sometimes, to save time, I have them type their answer into the chat and ask 2-3 students to find someone who has a similar answer to their own. This process ensures that they listen or read each others' responses and think about their classmates as a person rather than a thumbnail picture that they are sharing a Zoom meeting with. 

2. 5 Similarities and Flipgrid 

Where I first found this idea? I got this idea during my time with the Inland Area Writing
Project this summer. This three-week professional development was done virtually this summer. In this setting, our leaders knew that building our virtual community was essential, and it was evident how much planning went into this portion of our learning. 

What is it? 5 Similarities is a chart where students answer common questions (e.g., Favorite color, number of siblings, favorite food, etc.). Then, in a virtual classroom setting, they record their answer using Flipgrid. 

How I use it? Students then need to go back on to Flipgrid and listen to all of their classmates to hear who they share similarities with. As they listen, they keep notes on the answers their classmates shared. I also asked them to reply to their classmates on Flipgrid with something like, "Hi friend, I also love sushi. Maybe after this pandemic, we can eat sushi together. What's your favorite roll?" After they gather data from their classmates, I asked them to write three statements: One about what they learned from their class as a whole, one about what they wonder about their classmates, and one question that they wish I would have added. We've done the 5 Similarities routine 3 times since school started. I have used the questions they wished I would have added. They are learning more things about each other, which is helping us to slowly build our community. 

3. Positive notes home

Where I first found this idea? This is another idea that I found from a teacher on Instagram(Miss Bertels). She shared this idea last fall when she moved schools and wanted to start the year off on a positive foot with her new families. 

What is it? Basically, this note is a "caught being good" slip that you fill out and send home. 

How I use it? I print out a slack of these

positive notes and keep them on my desk. This year, I decided to write my students' names on the slip and address the envelopes ahead of time. So when a student shows respect or responsibility during our meetings, I grab a note, fill it out and send it off that day. I decided to fill them out ahead of time to ensure that I send them home to each student at some point over this trimester. My goal is to send them out to each student twice over this school year (*Side note: I've also noticed that my outlook each day is much more positive because I'm looking for the stand out behaviors rather than the negative ones). 

Please let me any ideas you have in comments:)

We can do this!

-Jenni Merry