What teachers can do from home to help classroom communities continue to thrive

My head turned toward the vibration of my phone. I graduated from my teacher education program less than a year ago, and my cohort of now elementary school teachers was still quite close. One of my teacher friends had just messaged our old instructor:

My kids are concerned our community is going to crumble (their words). I’m brainstorming ways we can keep that community strong while being stuck at home. Any ideas?

Throughout this first year of teaching, we’ve leaned on each other as each challenge came our way. But this time it feels different. With a global pandemic and national state of emergency, we are entering territory uncharted by even our most experienced colleagues. Schools around the country are closing indefinitely while we prioritize the health of our people, the stability of our healthcare system, and the lives of those most threatened by COVID-19. 

School administration and teachers are working carefully to ensure that learning continues from home. As I read the growing list of ideas my young colleagues shared, I grew inspired to not only ensure that our academic learning did not come to a halt, but that our community of learners continued to connect. We teachers have always tried supporting the social and emotional well-being of our students, and I believe that now more than ever, this work is crucial. 

The following ideas are from my colleagues -- from young, innovative public school teachers to a respected teacher educator and researcher -- in hopes that teachers can continue to foster their classroom communities while we are apart.

Virtual morning meetings

If everyone is able to use a computer, you can do a once-a-day video chat that runs something like a morning meeting. A few kids can share news every day, which will likely be even more special from home. Not everyone will be able to make it every time, but you can communicate with families to try to increase attendance or assign a role that fills people in when they return so that everyone feels included… If any of these things feel like too much, consider just a once a week or 3 times a week touch point to stay connected.

- Harper Keenan, Professor at the University of British Columbia

One-on-one video chats

I have parents picking out time slots for me to do a variety of things via video chat. Whether it be conferring with [students] on their writing, or practicing math skills. They also have the option just to chat -- allowing us to continue to build our relationship… and hopefully helping them feel some sense of normalcy.

- Carrie, kindergarten teacher in Northern California

Classroom group chat

We are using Padlet to create group chats and message boards for our students. Each of the 4th grade teachers on my team has formatted them to work best for their students. In my class, I have a message board where each student has a place to post. They are encouraged to post any activities they are doing at home with photos, videos, and/or explanations. Students can comment on each other’s posts. Padlet also has a format that looks like a group chat. As we settle into online learning, I will push this out to students so that they can still have the social connection with each other. Of course, I will monitor all posts and comments and have them set for approval for now while we test the waters. Both myself and Padlet have guidelines of kindness and respect on the platform.

- Emily, 4th grade teacher in Southern California

No student devices or WiFi?

I encouraged parents to email me or text me about any questions during the school closures… This parent shared a picture and message [from her student] via Parent Square. I didn’t ask them to, but I think my student wanted to show me she was getting her work done… It really brightened my day and validated the strong community and relationships I’ve built with my students.

- Danielle, kindergarten teacher in Northern California

A major struggle for my school is the fact that few students have the technology at home to support online learning… Fortunately on Sunday, Charter decided to offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription…

- Shelby, high school science teacher in Los Angeles 

I hope that these tips help some of us stay better connected to our students through this challenging time in education, although I acknowledge that each classroom has its own set of unique needs and obstacles during school closures. Do you have other ideas of how teachers can continue fostering classroom communities while respecting social distancing and school closure? Let us know in the comments below!