When school starts remotely, or even with some students f2f and some remote, it can be hard to know how to build your classroom community. This newsletter offers some ideas and tips for getting to know your students at a distance.
(you can also use this space for fun poems to go with the photos you choose)
Make a fun introduction.
The more you share yourself with your students, the more connected to you they will feel -- and the more safe sharing things about themselves. Here are some starter ideas:
Making a personal "About Me" Smore Newsletter is a fun way to introduce yourself to your students (in fact, this is how new employees at Smore introduce ourselves to our new colleagues!) Include some childhood photos, or funny Halloween photos. Share your hobbies, favorite songs, favorite recipes.
Make a Bitmoji Classroom -- this helps students envision what a classroom with you might look like. Include some favorite book titles, stuffed animals, other personal touches that you can point out to your students to give them an idea of who you are.
Make a funny "Getting to know you" teacher Kahoot.
Share a video of your favorite song when you were there age (here's mine from 6th Grade)
Grease-Grease is the Word
Look for ways to connect personally with each student and to build program around them.
Our inherent biases sometimes cause us to see student behaviors in ways that can be unfair to the student -- this was a painful lesson that I learned in my second year of teaching. This article offers a helpful framework.
Make sure that your curriculum, projects and assessments, selection of independent reading, posters, even your bitmoji classroom offer students a reflection of who they are (mirrors) and people who are different from them (windows).
