As teachers it is common knowledge that we cannot educate a child without first establishing a relationship with them. In the recent Covid shutdown we have had to explore how we can create those relationships in a distance learning environment. Throughout the week we will be exploring different strategies to accomplish this, however, below is my top 5 things you can do everyday from a distance that creates relationship building opportunities.
#5 Show Yourself!
This might seem like an obvious point considering you are teaching from a distance, however, I am not talking about filming yourself giving lessons. I mean show yourself. Share who you are and what you care about. It is more likely that the student who loves to Mountain Bike will be more likely to listen and respond to you if they know that you also like Mountain Biking. During the initial shutdowns, I themed my weeks around hobbies, activities, movies, etc that I loved. It not only kept their attention but it also allowed them to feel like they understood who I was on a different level!
#4 Provide Extensions
I design all of my digital lessons almost identically to my in class lessons. However, after I am done with my Micro Lesson teaching of the day, I provide two additional outlets/tutorials for students to dive into as well. This allows the students to hear the information from someone else and provides another opportunity to get the concepts if they missed it the first time!
#3 Be Intentional with Feedback
We are extremely lucky as educators to be teaching in these times. It gives us the opportunity to find new and meaningful ways of providing feedback. When we are not face to face, the feed back loop tends to feel pretty closed. Unfortunately, when the students are not in your classroom it is even more important to find ways to deliver feedback. This can be email, FlipGrid, snail mail, etc. The key is to be intentional and make sure you provide some type of direct feedback to each student at least every two weeks.
#2 Have Fun with Lessons
Students hate being in front of a computer screen and learning. Make sure that each lesson provides some type of fun outlet. This could be a made up song, a game, etc. The key is to keep the students on their toes and excited to learn. I often explain to my peers that the majority of the time in my classroom the students are dialed in because they are waiting to see what weird thing I am going to do next. These opportunities do not go away because they are not in front of you, it actually allows you to do it more creatively!
#1 You Are Not Just A Teacher.....
Never forget that you are not the only one going through this situation. Now imagine the mind of a child trying to deal with what is going on. You must be sensitive and be aware that the students need you to lead them through this. We are not just teachers! We are mentors, friends, authority figures, coaches, counselors, etc. When times are especially tough it is important that we can quickly change hats and fill whatever role the students need!
Don't forget to check out the podcast for a broader look at these and other great ideas!
Now go do something Awesome today!!!!
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