8 Ways of Creating Opportunities for Student Social Connections
8 Ways of Creating Opportunities for Student Social Connections
Online learning creates barriers to community, communication and connection. We ask ourselves and share in our PLCS:
Are students showing up for online learning?
Are they interacting with each other?
Are they engaged in their learning?
When we answer “no” to the above questions, we recognize that many of these students are not connected with the content or peers. In a traditional classroom, we have standard practices to engage these students and build relationships. Some of our strategies translate well to online learning but others require us to be more intentional in seeking ways to build trusting relationships.
Here are 8 ways of creating opportunities for students to build social connections.
Story-telling. Stories, especially those that let students see the true you, are powerful at creating relationships and engaging students with learning. Purposeful stories share and nurture cultural strengths. Use storytelling
to ensure our students know that you care about them,
to show how the protagonist embodies qualities we admire,
to tell how typically disenfranchised groups have produced phenomenal accomplishments and
to make connections between the content and their lives
Gamified learning. Using Quizlet, Kahoot! and Quizizz. Here’s a great way of using Quizlet Live in online learning. Jon Meehan has great resources and templates on ways to gamify the learning process https://edrenalinerush.com/resources/.
Student-led and peer tutorials Students can be grouped in different ways and there are countless ways to accomplish this. In an earlier blog, I wrote about Circle the Sage. Another formal strategy would be to place students in groups and have them work together to review the content. You could build collaboration through some competition between groups and monitoring each group’s progress by rewarding groups with the highest average or greatest improvement.
Seek feedback from students. This can be something formal like a survey or you can use Padlet or Jamboard to seek responses. A topic might be something like, “When we established our class norms, one of our norms was about respect. What are some ways I can show you respect and increase our respectfulness?” Seeking feedback is a great means of improving self-awareness and increasing mutual respect and understanding and modeling these important skills for students. Receiving feedback from students increases student trust. For more on this 360-feedback strategy and the Johari Window, check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aF-olRMuoQ
Harness the power of technology. While not a traditional means of building online connections, online discussion boards, Nearpod collaborate boards, and Flipgrids all provide students with opportunities to interact with each other.
Collaborative learning There is no greater strategy than collaborative learning. Using Jigsaw, reciprocal teaching, interdependent work around concept maps,etc. Collaborative learning has its highest impact when students work together and everyone has a specific learning task where collaboration is necessary to complete the learning task.
Class Start. In addition to trying to greet students by name as they enter your virtual classroom, start class with a simple question. Tell me something good. How are you taking care of yourself? These questions can be part of a Padlet, Nearpod, Zoom chat, etc.
Open mic. It comes from elementary school but it’s value is equally important for high school students. Provide a minute or two for a student to share his/her special talent during class. You might have a student who is thrilled to share something they created in art class, another student might share her StarWars Minecraft creation, another might simply share that they take care of 2 younger siblings. Equally important, allow students to respond to their peer’s presentation.
We know relationships--student-teacher and student-student--matter. For most of us, the relationships are why we became teachers. Building relationships from behind the screen, often with students we don’t know, presents a unique set of challenges. We know that relationships won’t just happen organically. You have been purposeful in your actions and we have found ways to modify traditional practices and discovered new ways to engage students.
What are some ways you’ve engaged with your students? Additionally, what are ways that we as a school and an administration can engage and connect with our students? And how can we improve our engagement with you?
An Eye-Opening Video and a Reminder
This video was shared with me (it’s worth watching the entire video but the link will take you to the 3:15 mark). As I watched the video, I was reminded of the following:
Students must know that the teacher cares about them and this goes beyond gentle nurturing.
Students must know that the teacher believes they are capable and has high expectations.
Only when those 2 conditions are met will students rise to the highest level of expectations.
Your work does matter. Your students, especially those of color, economically disadvantaged, special education students and others who are disenfranchised and typically disengaged, cannot succeed without you.
Thanksgiving Reminder
For some of our students Thanksgiving reminds me that for some of our students the worst day “at school” is still often better than a holiday or a weekend. Empathy requires perspective. During the holiday season, I must constantly remind myself that for some, especially during the pandemic, holidays don’t bring joy and gratitude.
Tasks/Important Information
Asynchronous faculty meeting link, please complete prior to our December 4 faculty meeting
If you teach an elective or hope to teach a new elective next year, please promote your class using the curriculum fair format. We highly recommend making a video or using last year’s video.
Please let us know which way you want to go using this google form. The videos are due December 2nd. Let us know if you need help, Chris and Alfred are willing and knowledgeable.
https://bit.ly/WAHSannounce To request an announcement, calendar event, etc.
https://bit.ly/TWCStuRec Together We Care Student Recognition
Virginia Wildlife issues are accessible on desktop, tablet, or phone and can be downloaded and printed to help you incorporate them into your teaching. To access Virginia Wildlife online, please go tovirginiawildlife.gov/educators and enter your school email. You'll receive an email with instructions on how to access the digital issue, and you will also be alerted when new issues are available.
Birthdays
November 22: Marie Leake and John Ratcliffe
November 25: Chris Stutsman
Worth Your Time
I’m empowering my students to lead conversations about race
Hacking Questions, by Connie Hamilton, copyright Times 10 Publication.
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