Hello friends! Thanks again for visiting the blog for this weekly link-up sponsored by Hot Lunch Tray!
All Class Virtual Day on Wednesdays!
Every Wednesday, I always signed on to Google Classroom at 8:15. Class did not start until 8:30. This way students and/or parents could pop in for a quick check-in or question. It was actually a very nice, casual atmosphere, and we would just chat about whatever the kids wanted. Plus, parents and other family members were quite curious about online learning and enjoyed listening in.
In addition, I offered a snack story time during our online day on Wednesday. I even invited siblings if they wanted to join us and listen to the the story. I would borrow ebooks like Scaredy Squirrely by Melanie Watt and other fun titles:
The younger siblings especially loved being included. I was happy to oblige because I love reading, and if these kids are happy for 10 minutes, this time makes a difference!
Remind
This year we used Remind to contact parents. Remind sends messages directly to the parents' cell phones. Rather than sending home newsletters (although I did do a few), I sent quick and relevant messages to the parents.
I read many articles last year about how parents felt overwhelmed with the technology and online learning. I tried not to add to their burden.
Online Conferences
I know that I LOVED having this option. The parents seemed to like having a scheduled Google Meet set up just for them. Of course, teachers had to go to school to do conferences due to the contract, but I was happy for the parents to stay in the comfort of their own homes.
In closing
A while ago, a student's father remarked how "at this age, you pretty much live with us." Visiting online gave me the opportunity to have a glimpse into my students' lives and families. Of course, I would prefer to communicate with my students face to face, but I think we all made the best of a difficult situation and became more resilient in the process!
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