Blog Post #13 - New Year, Fresh Start to Virtual Teaching

As we enter 2021, another year of online learning and a continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic, we recognize the need to master virtual teaching to best prepare our students for what is to come. This is a challenge for many considering the duration of this online learning style is unknown, and we have never been in this position before. A common concern I have noticed among most educators is how to create and maintain relationships and connections with the students.

Meet and Greet Activities

How do you get to know someone through a screen and/or behind a mask? There are many ways to conquer this struggle that so many of us teachers face. Below I have briefly discussed three options to get to know your students more deeply through virtual means.

1. About me digital artifact: Ask your students to create an artifact that tells about who they are as a person; this can include their interests, hobbies, family dynamics, personality traits, etc. The students are able to use their creativity by selecting the content shared and the platform used to share it. Some examples of how to approach this activity are by creating a movie trailer, podcast, written article, or any other individualized method. The video attached displays a project that high school students created to document their lives during the pandemic with photography.

2. Tell me about yourself, without actually telling me about yourself: This activity is a social media trend right now, especially found on TikTok and Instagram Reels. The goal of the activity is to not use words and have the audience learn about who you are. There are many ways to approach the activity (motions/gestures, skits, images), but one example I have found recently is through PowerPoint. Each student makes a slide but does not put his/her name on the slide. Then, the teacher displays the slides and the students guess which slide is which student.

3. Friendly Friday community building: In an online setting, students don’t get as much time to interact with one another personally. This is an activity that opens the floor to positive communication and relationship formation. The students are allowed to use the chatroom with the goal of spreading smiles across the screens. There is often music or fun videos playing in the background to lighten the environment even more.

Relatable Tools for Students

As difficult as it can be to remain humble in a place of authority, there comes a point where we must recognize that the students are of a younger generation and may know more about technology than us at times. This shouldn’t be an obstacle, rather it should be a resource. I suggest educators push themselves to use what the students know, whether it be for information or a classroom activity, there is much to learn from the online world as the students know. Social media applications offer teachers a place to not only network and share ideas/teaching strategies, but they can be used for lesson planning as well.

Examples of media in the classroom can be educational memes, informational videos, Twitter chats, or even media activity as a form of understanding assessment.This kindergarten teacher is going viral on TikTok for her videos about online learning during COVID-19. I would like to encourage all of you readers to share with your colleagues and other professionals in your field the progress that you have made in this virtual education journey. As we know, even teachers have things to learn.

Resources:

1. 6 Exercises to Get to Know Your Students Better—and Increase Their Engagement

2. How Teachers and Students Are Using TikTok in the Classroom

3. Building Community Virtually in Elementary School With Friendly Fridays