Empowering and Engaging: The Professional Development Strategies that Teachers Deserve

Teaching through Zoom has its challenges, but we have adapted and changed during the past few months to a new learning modality. Within this new teaching environment, I have learned to think about education as more of an experience than a single segment of time. That experience can extend well beyond a single 45-minute period and has infinite possibilities for pace and space. While having several choices can feel daunting or overwhelming, I also believe that this flexibility is empowering and can lead to the innovation that we have been reaching for in our education system for the past several years.  

My school district is about to switch from a remote block schedule to a hybrid nine-period day, with students coming two to three days a week. Approximately 40% of students will be in the building on a given day. Teachers are shifting from 75-minutes blocks every other day to 40 minute periods daily with three groups of students either in the classroom or remote. During passing periods, teachers will be responsible for wiping down desks, setting up technology, tracking where students sit and preparing to connect with those three groups of students. Again, these factors are overwhelming, but teachers are resilient. This impossible list will somehow get done.

 

As we prepare for this significant shift in a week, I have an opportunity to lead three different professional development sessions on multiple occasions at various times throughout the week. Working with my vice principal, we crafted a schedule to give teachers optional professional development topics that will empower them to make the impossible possible. Those times are staggered with the hope that everyone will have the opportunity to attend at least one session. By reflecting on how best to deliver professional development and ease my colleagues' and friends' anxieties, I have drawn a few conclusions about the future of professional development and how to inspire teachers who, in turn, inspire their students. 

Keep sessions small. 

When possible, keep professional development more intimate. When there are large numbers of participants, people are less likely to speak up. It is easy to get lost or hide in a crowd. It is easy to start checking emails, grading, or surfing the web. When there are fewer people, there are more opportunities to get involved, share, and ask questions. Once the questions start rolling with one person, the metaphorical ball is in play. More questions can be asked, and again, with a small group, the professional development leader will have more time to answer questions in depth. Creating a safe and open environment makes everyone feel like they are seen and have a voice. 

Consider the people in the audience ahead of the session. 

A common misnomer about public speaking is that the speaker is the most important person in the room. In fact, it is the opposite. The people who matter most are the audience members - the ones in which who are receiving the intended message. If a speaker wants to be successful, they should encode their message to most effectively meet the audience's needs and expectations. That process starts with tailoring the message to who is in the room. As an instructional coach who works in a high school, my adult audience is composed of content area teachers who seek instructional strategies that relate to their disciplines. How a math teacher approaches instruction differs significantly from an English teacher or a physical education teacher. The examples that I provide colleagues based on their fields can draw them back into the conversation and imagine how a specific instructional approach or tech tool might enhance their students' classroom experience. As a speaker, my message may change to meet my audience's needs at each session - just like my instructional approach varies with my students each year. Again, finding ways to make your audience seem seen and validated through personalizing the message goes a long way with audience engagement. 

Make learning active. 

When we craft lessons for students, we often design lessons that ask students to be active. Professional development should take the same approach. When teachers can experience tech tools and instructional strategies from the student perspective, they will be far more likely to use them in the classroom. If teachers see that an approach works, they will incorporate it. Making learning active is also another way to engage educators. We are busy, we are tired, and if we are not drawn in, we won't listen - or we will check our email. Active learning leads to powerful results both with our students and when working with our peers.  

Differentiate strategies and create challenges for more advanced users. 

I tend to pack a lot into a short amount of time. While I may move too fast for some, that is my style, and I always admit that upfront. Teachers know that they will get a mental workout with me. Still, I find ways to level my training and differentiate with intention. In my slides, I embed resources and videos that can help newer users. I have started making gifs to demonstrate processes and model strategies to help visual learners, and I now have several slides with stopping points for questions in the beginning, middle, and end of my presentations. Also, I find time for teachers to play and experience, allowing them to imagine how they might use the strategy or tool. Teachers who are more advanced tech users can run with that strategy while I am answering more specific questions with teachers that may need more support. My other ploy for moving fast and leveling all teachers' experiences encourages them to follow-up with me. I want to work one-on-one with teachers so that I can move at their pace and meet them at their skill level. The best way to promote future collaboration and individual meetings is to allow teachers to dream up the possibilities during the session. Following up with handwritten cards and small prizes (mostly stickers or pencils) helps re-engage and reminds them to book a future appointment with me. 

Start with the takeaways. 

This past week, I had a revelation. At the end of my sessions, I typically create a slide with statements or ideas that I hope my colleagues take with them as they walk out the door - typically with a homemade cookie or sticker (pre-COVID). Why would I end with those takeaways when I could use those statements as a framework for our entire professional development conversation. When I say takeaways, I am not talking about objectives or learning targets. I am not referring to the use of educational buzzwords or theory-specific goals. I am addressing the "Look, dudes, this is what I actually mean" or the "Honestly, friends, this is what I truly hope you apply in your classrooms" statements. Instead of ending with these important ideas, I started with them, and it was another way to get the questions flowing and kept the conversation more charged. Professional development, like any speaking situation, is not about the speaker. It is about the audience. If the audience is actively participating and critically thinking, then the conversation is work. 

Teachers are rock stars who make the impossible possible every day. They DESERVE all the praise and love in the world - even though they often don’t receive it. My colleagues deserve quality instructional and technology support, and I am humbled daily by the notion that I get to partner with them and provide that love and (instructional and emotional) support. Bring on this next phase of instruction. No matter the outcome, we are in this together.  

Empathy, Compassion, and a Little Communication

 In such a tumultuous time, compassion and empathy are critical social and emotional skills that can open doors to better understanding, stronger relationships, and deeper connections to course content. Collectively, we have been caught in a storm that stretches farther than we can see right now. When will we be able to return to a greater sense of normal? Will we ever revert to a pre-COVID existence? And what aspects of this new normal should we embrace for the long haul? When attempting to answer these questions, many feel despair rather than hope. Depression, anxiety, and fear are all too familiar emotions that cast doubt and uncertainty on teachers and students alike. 

I have always used the “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” as a hook for both my first and second units in my senior speech class. This year, I wanted to emphasize the importance of using communication skills to listen and empathize with the people we encounter each day. To feel heard, I wanted my students to realize that we must first stop and listen to process our grief and understand what others are experiencing. This unique ordeal has provided us with opportunities to be quiet and stand still. This semester the silence often experienced on Zoom has been disheartening, but using webtools like Pear Deck, Flipgrid, and Zoom breakout rooms has helped keep students active and engaged. We are finding new ways to make student learning visible by using shared Google Docs or Padlets. 

Time to reflect has made me realize that we need to be intentional with our communication, and as a result, I have worked to emphasize the importance and power in each word we say and the nonverbal messages we share. Over 70% of our communication is nonverbal. It is conveyed through our tone, our movements, and our posture. Whether we are on Zoom, in-person, or a hybrid of the two, we may use these communication elements to engage our students. On a camera, every subtle movement is exaggerated, and our communicative exchanges are on display for many people to see. As such, we need to be intentional with the messages we send, and we need to teach our students to utilize these new platforms to amplify their voices. 

To achieve these more intentional communication goals with my students, I adapted my first two units to work in this remote setting, and I began to reflect on and shift my learning targets, too. How do we promote authentic communication in the times of Corona? How do we teach students to use our listening skills and empathy to navigate a still uncertain future? 

Challenge students to first engage in self-disclosure.

For a long time, my introduction speech has been called “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.” This speech asks students to use a pair of shoes and their favorite quote to identify where they have been, where they are, and where they hope to go. An introduction speech marked with important events, people, and activities - this speech is used to introduce students to each other but, more importantly, to remind students to stop and see the world from some else’s perspective. Students are encouraged to avoid listing facts and use their time to tell stories that reflect their passions, their character, and their values. This year, students held on to each other's stories, especially as they reflected on what they have missed the most during the past several months of quarantine. What I loved about this experience is that not only did students learn about their classmates, but they also learned more about themselves as they have all faced struggles and obstacles during this quarantine.   

Reflect on the messages we don’t intend to send.

With any communicative exchange lies messages we do not intend to send - the nonverbal gestures, posture, body language, and tone. Being on camera all day, every day has forced us to look at ourselves. We notice how we sit, how we react, and how we sound. Leveraging technology to challenge students to reflect on their nonverbal messages can lead to powerful learning experiences. When we don’t see ourselves, we are completely unaware of the messages we send and how we are perceived. Now with Zoom, I can literally roll back the tape and challenge students to assess what they are saying when they are not talking. To understand the importance of body language, students participated in two online discussions that asked them to reflect on “The Importance of Listening” and the power of body language. To further understand the importance of body language, students participated in two online discussions that asked them to reflect on Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk, “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are.” Highlighting the importance of listening and nonverbal messages allowed students to reflect on how they use both skills every day, and its impact on the communication exchanges they have daily, both on-screen and off.

Have students reflect on the stories of others. 

To empathize or feel with others, we must first walk in their shoes. Textual analysis, reading literature, and sharing stories are all ways to practice this critical walk into others' perspectives. By reading and analyzing diverse stories, students begin to recognize the struggles and obstacles that people face. From health issues, LGBTQ topics, to race - these are stories that some students have not encountered because they have only lived in one neighborhood or have not experienced as much life as an adult. No matter where students understand voices that are not the same as their own, they can always learn, explore, and experience. During my second unit, I have students select a short story, poem, dramatic monologue, or speech that speaks to them. These scripts are saved and archived with representation from all walks of life. After students select a piece, complete an empathy journal to reflect on how the story's meaning has changed their insights or understanding of the world.

Ask students to amplify powerful stories.

Once students have consumed and analyzed stories, they need to be taught to amplify those voices. Students are assigned oral interp speeches every year in class, but this year, their performances were unparalleled by any previous year. Whether it be because we were on Zoom or because we had spent so much time intentionally thinking empathy, their performances significantly impacted them and me. Without fail, every reflection touched on how they learned more about the world and how to empathize through this exercise than they ever imagined they would. When we truly step inside the experiences of others, we can more fully embrace and support others. 

Ask students to provide feedback. 

Students learn from doing, but they also learn from listening. Students complete a peer review exercise for each speech that they write using Flipgrid. Through these experiences, they learn to critique others while also providing support and finding strengths. Their words are powerful, and the critical thinking process conducted during peer reviews deepens their ability to empathize and view the world from unique lenses.

While Zoom silence can be deafening, we should not underestimate or minimize the potential for listening. As the Greek philosopher, Epictetus, stated in 60 A.D., “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” May we take to heart his words, lead with compassion, and find new ways to empathize with the people and stories we encounter along the way.  

Using Video to Connect, Deliver Content, and Celebrate Students

Since the first YouTube video was uploaded in April 2005, more than 1 billion people have accessed the platform to tune into videos ranging from cats being funny or vloggers sharing tips. According to Kevin Alloca, the head trends manager at YouTube, platforms like YouTube have given rise to powerful exchanges of information that have shaped our culture and created unexpected communities. 

As we embrace this quarantined existence, truly an unexpected new normal, we must also embrace innovative and creative ways to engage our students. By leveraging platforms like YouTube and utilizing video creation, we can find ways to reach some students who may be in front of us and many of who may be at home at the same time. We cannot be in two places simultaneously, but we can use video creation to expand our reach exponentially. Now the question is - how do we effectively use video creation in our classroom? What are the best practices with creating educational videos for students?

Keep it short. 

No matter the discipline or the subject matter, videos need to be short. Six minutes seems to be the magic time that allows teachers to provide detailed and clear instruction while keep students engaged and connected to the video. Remeber, students learn best when they are actively engaged in practicing and applying information. If they are watching a video, which can be an excellent educational tool, they may become passive or lose interest quickly. Sitting still is challenging, and sitting for eight hours a day - a near impossible and arduous task. Give students a little information and then challenge them to apply that information. Whether it be completing a problem set in math, conducting an experiment, writing a response to a prompt, or even constructing a braindump (merely writing down everything essential that they remember from the video) on a Padlet - students should be active. Any of these ideas allows students to digest, process, and apply what they have learned. 

Chunk information. 

If more than just a few minutes of direct instruction is necessary for students to achieve a specific learning target or goal, then chunk the information into smaller, more concise videos. Instead of making one long video, break down the lesson into single concepts. Have students applying the information after each video to help ensure that they comprehend and retain each part of the process. For example, if I am teaching students how to write a literary analysis paper, I would have a video just on claim statements. Then I would create an intro paragraph lesson, quote integration lesson, and a concluding paragraph lesson. A few days later, I might post a lesson on revisions and grammar. Chunking information allows me to go in-depth about specific concepts and also allows me to challenge students to participate in the process along the way. 

Having students complete an asynchronous Pear Deck can allow students to watch short videos to acquire news skills, apply those skills, and then reflect on what they have learned. For the literary analysis paper described above, I would embed and app smash the YouTube videos into Pear Deck so that students can watch, apply, and reflect each step of the way. If I turn on student-paced mode, students can move at their own pace and seek feedback from me along the way. Chunk allows for more opportunities to provide feedback to students. We do not have to teach students skills live at the exact same time to provide them with effective direct instruction. 

Find ways to keep them engaged by letting your personality shine. 

As you start developing more instructional videos, don't forget to bring the fun. Find a way to let your personality shine. If you love inspirational quotes like I do, include a quote or find a fun fact of the day. Get personal with students, share a story about your life, or talk about what is happening around you. I wish I could tell my first-year teacher self that it is okay to have fun. It is okay to laugh, joke, or be vulnerable. In countless ways, we all feel like first-year teachers. Remember, those emotions and social practices can be conveyed in instructional videos. Start by thinking about the ways that you open and end class. If you have a favorite phrase or practice that you do as students walk in and out of your room, use it! Say it, shout it, do a goofy little dance - whatever it takes. Spreading a thin layer of cheese throughout those instructional videos makes learning more memorable, more engaging, and, most importantly, more enjoyable. It is okay to bring joy! 

Use Gifs for Tutorials.

Since we cannot be in the same room, I have found myself creating 10 to 15 personalized videos a day for teachers, students, and parents. Typically, I am crafting two to three general instructional videos each day. To save teachers and students time, I have cut back on the number of videos I am sending. If the video can be condensed into a 15 seconds gif, I will make the video a gif instead of a full video. Unless the process we are reviewing necessitates a detailed explanation, a quick gif playing on repeat can help students understand where to click and access resources. Often, adults and children alike are unsuccessful at completing a learning task because they simply do not know how to navigate an educational platform. Once they know where to go, they can access the material they need. WeVideo and Screencastify can create gif files. I love how on WeVideo, you can layer in special effects, add arrows, or personalize the gif for even further clarity. 

Gifs can be used for fun. 

As we try to adapt and meet our students' needs this fall, it is easy to lose sight of having fun. We are in survival mode - often teaching students on new platforms and in unconventional models of learning. Tired eyes and lack of sleep can cause us to lose sight of what we love as teachers - the relationships we have with our students. We can use video (gifs especially) to tell a joke, express how we are feeling, and celebrate our students. Creativity can spark ideas and motivate students to reconnect with the class. If they are feeling lost on a screen, a gif might be the answer to drawing them back in or encouraging them to share an idea, too. Don't underestimate the power a short gif can have on enhancing and lightening the mood in a virtual or hybrid classroom. We all need to smile a little more lately; gifs can help. 

Remember, students can be engaged in various ways. While we cannot see everything on a screen simultaneously or be in every breakout room, we can leverage the power of video to multiple ourselves, provide differentiated instruction, and make students smile. Videos make great instructional tools that allow students to acquire new skills, understand significant ideas, and even empathize within the classroom community. Not every video has to be award-winning, but every video has the potential to create a powerful spark in the minds and hearts of our students. Don't worry about perfecting your hair or speaking a flawless message into the mic. Show your personality, amplify your content, and celebrate your students with video today. 

Fostering the Four Cs of 21st Century Learning During Pandemic Learning

This summer, educators were asked to prepare for many scenarios and possibilities, and because of the state of the world, we knew we'd have to be ready for anything. I found myself on more Zoom calls than I could count, creating professional development that met teachers' needs across disciplines and technology skill levels. To make working conditions and family life more effective, we converted our basement into a bedroom and my son's room into my new office. This office quickly became my daughters' favorite place to play as they came in to borrow the good pens and notebooks. Preparing my almost kindergartener for online learning was a priority this summer, knowing that her school would decide to start the year with e-learning or that we would elect for her to learn remotely. She often joined me while I worked, coloring at my side or, even better, creating and editing videos with me. 

While connectivity obstacles and technology limitations have created occasional challenges, we are collectively learning so much. No, experiencing a global pandemic is not how any of us want to live life. Still, I genuinely believe that we will have learned so much about technology, education, and empathy by the time we reach the other side. 21st-century skills often shared on slides at the beginning of the year during a professional development meeting are being thrust into practice this year. While we might sometimes fall a little sort (or have to shut down the computer and restart Zoom during the middle of a lesson - it happened to me on Friday), being able to apply the 4C's with our students will set them up for success far beyond our virtual walls. 

Communication

Communication during a pandemic is not easy. In years past, I have struggled to get my students to check email. Especially as seniors in high school, they often receive too many notifications, and instead of deleting or filtering the spam, students ignore it all. Important messages go unread. This year, I have tried to leverage our new learning management system to teach them to message through the platform and check for announcements. This year, my district is using Canvas, and what is nice about this platform is that students can set the frequency of their notifications to once a day, instead of every time a teacher updates the course. Empowering students to organize their Gmail inboxes and explaining the importance of creating a less daunting email inbox reminds them that communication is key. They cannot overlook messages, but they can control the workflow within their own challenges of communication. 

In addition to Gmail, students also need to be empowered to seek support. They have to speak up; they have to unmute. While talking on a digital platform like Zoom or Meet can feel intimidating, now they are aware of when they are silenced, and more importantly, they are being tasked and empowered to take a stand and speak up. We can create spaces and opportunities for all students to turn on their mics. Whether it is in a whole group conversation, smaller breakout spaces, or even one-on-one, we have to be intentional with inviting all students to speak up and create opportunities to do so. 

Talking about intentional communication with our students teaches them how valuable their voices are and how they can (and should) always make a choice to speak up! For my students who are more apprehensive about speaking up, I need to provide assignments that use videos (such as a private Flipgrid assignment or a WeVideo screencast) to feel open to sharing their thoughts on a  lesson or life in general. Again, we have to remember to create safe spaces for them to speak up! 

Collaboration

Students are working from home most of the time now, and as a result, it is easy to feel disconnected. As the weather turns colder, it will become harder to see people and socialize safely. While this winter may be challenging, we can still provide opportunities for students to be collaborative synchronously and asynchronously. 

Using breakout rooms is a must! Students will share in smaller groups, and giving them reasons to talk even about silly icebreaker questions opens the door for more meaningful discussion and collaboration for the period and for the rest of the semester. Google Suites, Padlet, Pear Deck, and other tools that allow for real-time responses and communication can also make the classroom community more interactive and provide students with opportunities to share their voices and see/hear their classmates' ideas as well. Using these documents to create collaborative spaces encourages them to use their voices, relate to others, and know that they are not alone in their learning and that they are a part of a community that cares. 

Discussion threads, collaborative Google Slides projects, creative video creation are all ways to promote the interactive learning process. While not every group project may find success online, remember that group projects can be a challenge in-person, too. If we scaffold group assignments and activities, we can forge more meaningful connections among students and will see more successful results. Collaboration should happen during every synchronous class meeting in a small way so that students are prepared for more extensive and more collaborative summative assignments later in the semester. 

Critical Thinking

A common frustration and challenge that some disciplines have faced come with assessments. When students are not in the classroom, they can use Google or their phones to find answers to quizzes and assessments. Multiple-choice assessments, which are used in elementary school to AP classes, are not the most effective way to assess students in a digital learning environment. To test mastery, we want to know that our students see the content and skills that will lead to success later in the course and beyond our time with them. As such, I have encouraged teachers to start to shift how they assess students. Instead of merely using a multiple choice quiz, teachers have begun asking students to answer a prompt on Flipgrid or record a video of them answering a math problem. Students are writing more and clicking less. 

That is not to say that multiple-choice assessments no longer have a place in learning, but rather, we need to find ways for students to apply their critical thinking skills to demonstrate mastery. I love a quick multiple-choice quiz after completing a reading assignment to ensure that students understood the passage's gist! The out of classroom assessment challenge has given me time to pause and reflect. While we shift and redesign our curriculum, the multiple-choice challenge has given us time to reflect on our assessments and their role in student learning. We need to find opportunities to challenge our students to think critically and apply their knowledge. In an online environment, they are in the driver's seat of their learning. We have to give them the keys and the avenues to drive on to stretch their comprehension and understanding. 

Creativity

The final C being challenged during pandemic learning is creativity, which every educator has to exhibit. The traditional learning modalities are not available to us, but the time doesn't stop as a result. We are in a new normal, and while elements of the old routine will come back, perhaps some working environments and technology will be adopted permanently. We are teaching students to communicate, collaborate, and critically think in a digital environment, and to do that; we must foster their creativity. Education cannot be passive; students cannot merely consume facts and dates. They have to be writing the narrative themselves. To amplify their voices, they need to be sharing, speaking, writing, and connecting with others. Preparing them for a post-pandemic economy may necessitate an increased understanding of digital communication and creation skills. Editing videos, writing, and engaging people through various digital platforms will be their reality beyond our walls. Why not find ways to have them teach us a thing or two about how innovative, inventive, and creative they can be? 

Remember, our students, like our own children, are always watching and learning from us. How we tackle the 4C's during pandemic learning is how students will perceive these 21st-century skills and their relevance to students' lives. As my daughters colored, they learned that it is more than okay to fail with technology because while it may not always work as we want it to, we can use 21st-century skills to foster strong relationships and forge new pathways to learning today and well beyond the pandemic. 

Be Present: Creating a Digital Presence in an Online or Hybrid Classroom

Be present in the moment. If the pandemic and stay-at-home orders have taught us all one lesson, being present has to be it. My family remains on high alert to protect my son, who was born with Cystic Fibrosis. As a result, we will be one of the last families to return to normal. While to some people, our choices may seem overly cautious - I remind people that my son was hospitalized because of a stomach bug and put on antibiotics because of a cold. The few times he has been sick in his life have necessitated immediate medical attention. To avoid an unscheduled trek to Lutheran General Hospital, being six feet apart and avoiding large crowds have become standard practice during the flu season. This season of illness, which started in February of last year, has just been a little longer than most. 

Despite our necessary and logical reasons for being cautious, we have not been antisocial. Team Sukow spent this summer baking cookies and leaving gifts for friends and family we love. My family found ways to express our love and gratitude for the people in our lives who understand why we have stayed away and supported us through some tough decisions. Globally, we are all still enduring the effects of this pandemic, and while our experiences have similarities, we are facing unique battles. 

As the calendar has turned to September and school is back in session, I am reminded that being present in the moment remains as essential as ever. While school may not look like what we considered normal for several months to come, what our students need from us the most is for us to be present. They need our attention, our guidance, and our love - especially while they, too, are attempting to navigate a world of uncertainties and no guarantees. 

We are tasked with the challenge of creating digital spaces for our students to navigate and establish a sense of normalcy in them. While some teachers have taken to the technology more naturally than others, we can all work to create a digital presence that gives our students the social and emotional support they need to achieve academic success during this season. Establishing a strong and welcoming online presence brings consistency, comfort, and increases accessibility for our students. 

Keep the organization as clear as possible. 

The best place to start when establishing an online presence is to consider the organization. When students are remote, it is easy for them to become lost or feel uncertain about accessing school through digital means. We cannot stand over their shoulder to guide them, and their classmates are not a desk away to subtly show them where to click during a class activity. As such, consider creating a single and clear pathway to get to the course learning. Rechunking and redesigning material may be necessary to support students who may be afraid to ask for support during in-person learning and now have the added barrier of the mute button on Zoom. 

To help students even further, breaking material down by week and by date can add clarity and direction for any student. Using announcements, calendars, and frequent communication to support students can also provide additional support and make the course easier to navigate. Once navigation and layout have been established, keep that consistent organization to create routines. 

Be yourself. 

Once the organizational design has been created, we cannot forget to find ways to interject ourselves into the course. Practicing self-disclosure allows us to foster relationships. Those relationships lead to more substantial participation and student engagement. Whether it be as subtle as creating a color scheme for buttons and tiles on a learning management system homepage or including a personalized video message, interjecting personal quips, sayings, and ideas encourages students to keep coming back to class. It invites them to begin to share more about themselves in the process, too. Find a way to communicate who you are to your students, whether it be through jokes shared during synchronous sessions or Bitmojis dancing in banners. Be yourself. 

Learn together.

When we attended college teacher preparation courses a decade ago or even as many as three decades ago, we were not taught to build online platforms. We were trained in love and logic, classroom management strategies, and in-person questioning styles. Currently, we are all navigating a relatively new frontier. While there have been online schools and programs for the last decade, these programs are not the norm for K-12 education. 

If a teacher is not traditionally a tech wizard, it is okay. Try to find small ways to learn with the students. Do not be afraid to fail. As teachers, I know we want to be perfectly put together and have everything figured out before class begins. But as Jessica Lahey states in her book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed, "Perfection is not what holds [a classroom] family together. Bond forged through shared struggle is what endures over the long haul." We know that students learn from their mistakes; we can learn this way, too. Our mistakes can teach us far more than being perfectly put together every moment ever could. 

Use Video

No matter how one has approached the last six months of the year, human interaction and contact has been limited. We are all craving connection. The best way to create a sense of connection is to capture yourself on film. Use programs like Screencastify, WeVideo, or even recordings on your phone to talk to your students. Modeling digital communication will only invite them into the online classroom more and encourage them to reciprocate. During quarantine in the spring, I stopped worrying about looking perfect and wearing makeup in every video. I was at my house, and I was wearing running clothes and spirit wear most of the time. Being myself and showing how I was balancing motherhood, teaching, and a pandemic was just another way to self-disclose and be vulnerable with my students. Sharing my voice allowed them to be vulnerable with me, too. 

Have them respond back. 

Whether it be through Google Forms surveys, personal reflection, or private Flipgrid videos, students need to use their voice, and students need to feel heard. Challenge students to respond back and find ways to allow them to share what is working in the course and what can be improved upon. Collecting student feedback and providing opportunities for them to communicate with you how they are doing creates a sense of trust and can allow teachers to enhance the online learning environment. Again, when students feel connected to the classroom and have a rapport with their teachers, they are far more likely to engage, and they will feel so much more comfortable seeking help. Students need an outlet; even though they would not have admitted it in the fall of 2019, school is a safe place where they want to be. 

While this school year's future will remain uncertain, we know that we can still be present for our students. We are all fighting different battles and facing healthy and normal fears for our health, safety, and future. Remember that being present for our students in the here and now provides a great sense of normalcy for them. We can still be their safe space; we need to adjust, adapt, and embrace our vulnerabilities. 

Bell Ringers with Intention

My eldest daughter started kindergarten this week. She is learning to navigate Seesaw, how to interact on a Zoom call, and is developing critical literacy skills. I have been amazed to watch her navigate this new digital platform and school altogether and have been so encouraged by her teacher who seems to handle the wilds of kindergarten with students new to the school environment with grace and patience. Remote teaching is so challenging, especially for elementary students, and her teacher persevering through it.

I teach seniors - the opposite end of the spectrum. While we have far fewer technology issues, students are still relatively new to this experience. My school district has recently adopted a new LMS, which several students have used before in one or two classes, but it is still yet another change to which students must adapt. After facing so much uncertainty for the last six months, my students still find themselves walking into numerous unknowns. As a result, building community and challenging students to use their communication skills has been a priority - especially because I teach speech. Communicating is what we do.

As the first bell rings and the first Zoom call commences in the morning, students admit to rolling out of bed and logging onto the call. They are tired, not fully ready to engage, and locked behind screens, which makes speaking slightly more nerve-wracking than normal. Starting my periods with intentionality has been a focus of my first two weeks of remote learning this fall. To begin each session together, I have students participate in a small group warm-up or bell ringer activity designed to break the ice and make students actively think, reflect on their lives, and apply the communicative skill being addressed that week. By tasking students to use their communication skills to connect with others at the beginning of class has led to more energy in the room and fostered an increased sense of community.

The expectation is that students unmute, share, and record what they have discussed in their breakout rooms. Everyone is active, and I am frantically popping from room to room to say good morning, check-in, and welcome them to the start of another school day (Note: I only teach three classes because of my instructional coach position. All of my classes are AM classes). Groups are randomized to make them feel like they know more people in the room and are less inhibited by our current classroom environment. This routine has become a natural part of the cadence of my classroom, and students recognize the importance of being ready to share and collaborate with others. 

So, Steph… what do those bell-ringers look like?

Ironically, I have found my bell-ringers that feel elementary. We created classroom rules for Zoom. We’ve done a counting game, and we even did show-and-tell. While these topics seem simple and more expected in a kindergarten classroom, they took on new meaning, allowed us to be intentional with our conversations and getting to know one another, and made students laugh. Normally, I would not explicitly create classroom norms with students, but we are in a new normal and that conversation opened up to reflect on all of our parts. I created a 360 view of my classroom using Google Maps. To make them feel like they were “in” my space, I challenged them to explore my new workspace and search for all of the inspirational quotes that I have used to make my classroom feel more reflective of my typical classroom environment. And show-and-tell challenged students to get out of their seats, find an object that was meaningful to them, and practice storytelling. Powerful speakers are strong storytellers, and what they shared was inspiring and opened them up to express vulnerability with one another.

I plan to continue to have students participate in these icebreakers because now more than ever, we have the cold feeling of a computer screen that needs cracking each day to help us feel more united. The encouraging news is that once it is dethawed at the beginning of the period, students are ready to dive into their learning.

How can we all infuse digital bell-ringers into our classrooms?


In these activities, it is important to be mindful of the time. They should be short and energy-giving - not draining. Students also need to be held accountable for their conversations. By creating a Google Doc, Jamboard, or a Padlet on which they can take notes or make their conversations visual, they have more purpose and direction to the activity. They are also more likely to stay on task. Since I cannot be in seven breakout rooms at the same time, I have appreciated this type of documentation because it allows me to hear their stories and remember important details about my students' passions, interests, and backgrounds. The key to the document that the teacher makes to hold students accountable is that it must be shareable, editable, and on one page.

Keeping the content to one page has allowed me to monitor student progress with ease. If I notice that a group hasn’t written anything after a few minutes, I can immediately jump into that breakout room and support students. I have been pleasantly surprised by the fact that I have jumped into rooms that were so excited to talk to each other or were sharing such detailed stories that they forgot to record their thoughts. I have also used these documents as a formative assessment, qualitatively measuring student engagement and participation. These insights have already allowed me to target a few students who needed additional support navigating the platform. 

How do we bring a stronger sense of community back to our classrooms?

Through bell-ringers, we have the opportunity to allow our personalities to shine. I am a self-professed nerd who loves inspirational quotes. I am energetic in the morning - too much at times, and I value my students' passions. I share a story with them each time I set up a bell-ringer activity. I model vulnerability and excitement for the day. When they see that it’s possible to feel connected, they will make an effort back. While it may take time to defrost a few students’ apprehensive tendencies toward Zoom calls, we can achieve a greater level of comfortability. Remember, relationships matter more than any mathematical formula, grammar rule, or historical fact. When we reinforce heart before head, their heads are far more open to acquiring new skills or cramming new content. 

While my kindergartener sings back to a screen, I know she already feels loved by her teacher. Do I wish that she was face-to-face with her peers, learning and growing in person? Of course, but that is not the world we live in right now. We will get back there, and when we do, we will have learned so much more about the power of communication and connecting than we ever imagined.