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.
No comments:
Post a Comment