In the Room and on Zoom: How do we Find Balance?

A return to in-person learning is occurring across the Chicago suburbs. Hybrid learning is off and running, and so are teachers -- running from screen to the in-class scene. I liken hybrid learning to a game show, in which the players and the at-home audience are interconnected and leaning in to hear what the other group is saying. While it is nearly impossible to gracefully and fluidly do both perfectly, it’s working. Here are my takeaways after week two: 

Flip your doc camera so that they can see each other. 

I find owning the cheesiness of these awkward moments of juggling multiple devices and students in all places lightens the mood. When I laugh at myself, my students laugh with me. They understand that this is not how we are supposed be living life, but this situation is what we have. My roomers and Zoomers are broken into two groups (plus a full remote group) who do not get to see each other or interact with the other half of the alphabet. As a result, I like to flip the camera to make them do the exaggerated wave to one another. I have even encouraged one group to give another group advice or words of encouragement. The sound is jumbled and often makes the roomers jump, but they're laughing. Encourage students to remember that a whole other group of students concurrently learning allows everyone to feel heard and recognized. As I move the camera around, I am also giving subtle indications of where I want my Zoomers to be focusing their attention. Are we doing group work? If so, let's look at other students. Are we engaged in a direct instruction mini-lesson? Then I'm going to talk straight into that camera. While I am doing this, I do narrate the process and make all students fully aware of who is on the projector screen. Students know when they're being shown out of respect to all people involved. That open communication involves them even more and encourages everyone to take the stage when the camera is directed at them. 

Use technology to showcase every voice.

 

Students still struggle with unmuting on Zoom. Part of it is tech issues that can create a lag in the discussion, and another part of it is the uncertainty of being spotlighted without preparation. Whatever the reason, students need to be reminded that their voices matter and that they can share them in many ways. Using tech tools such as Pear Deck and Padlet has made amplifying student voice much easier and safer for students. They can respond at their own pace, and the messages can be anonymous. When students struggle to unmute, validation and encouragement can often temper their timidness. Highlighting anonymous responses on tech tools shows students that they have much to contribute and great ideas to share. After asking all students to write out answers, I have started using Flippity's random name picker to select the students who will share in the class on Zoom. Once I know everyone has written an answer, it is up to the Google gods to determine who will share their ideas. This process has also gotten students laughing, cheering, and groaning when a name appears on the screen. Every voice has something valuable to share. Sometimes students need a little nudge. 

Also, encourage students at home to report when the sound is off, or the internet is lagging. We won’t know that if they don’t speak up. I had to learn this lesson the hard way this week! 

Leverage in-person experiences. 

The best part of being in-person is that students can talk... to each other. They can be sharing what they are learning while a teacher directs their time to the students on Zoom. They can collaborate and share ideas, and if they get off-task, that is okay! In fact, that might be exactly what they need while they cope with or process the current state of the world. In-person time can be used to create a sense of normalcy and allow students to validate one another. 

Group students in the room and on Zoom.

 

One half of the alphabet should not be doomed to the fate of being passing ships who never interact again. No, no. They should be each other's partners in crime who advocate for one another when one is on Zoom. They can still create, communicate, and collaborate. They can meet in digital breakout rooms and on shared docs and slides. The organization, grouping, and movement of all it all just needs to be a little more coordinated than normal. I love using breakout slide templates to help the workflow and organization of digital collaboration. Using the same format reduces explanation time and increases student comfort when they are collaborating in a noisy, digital environment. Having that connection might flop if technology fails us, but it can be incredibly powerful, too. 

Make sure everyone is getting some love. 

The past year has been marked with trepidation and uncertainty. Content may not be perfectly covered this year, but students will continue to make academic and social-emotional progress if they feel safe, cared for, and validated. Whenever tragedy or hardship occurs, content matters less. Caring for others will allow students to cope and prepare them to learn. Leading with one's heart leads to stronger relationships, and stronger relationships will lead to more retention and learning. It is okay to focus on people first. The rest will follow. 

This game show host is tired after two weeks of hybrid, but I am grateful for the flexibility and energy that my students bring to the classroom -- both digital and in-person. While I hope that I can display some of Vanna White's grace and all of the wisdom of the late Alex Trebek, I know that if I give it my best and laugh at any tech trials that arise, my students and I will make class great together. 

How Do We Handle Difficult Conversations in the Classroom?

This past week, our country witnessed an attack on democracy in the Capitol. Over the past year, we have seen the racial injustice, political strife, and an election that divided our nation. A global pandemic has consumed our lives, led to national shutdowns and economic crises. While there has been great despair and challenging times, we have also witnessed the creation of vaccines in record time, leadership from healthcare professionals, and so many essential workers' sacrifices. To be a child attempting to grapple with these issues and understand the world must be incredibly challenging and confusing. As educators, it is our responsibility to provide a sense of safety, support, and normalcy in times that are anything but ordinary. 

The layers of these issues and the nuances of handling politics in a K-12 classroom fall into grey areas that I have struggled to understand this past week. I have a duty to my students, who are all seniors in high school, to make them feel safe, validate their feelings of anxiety/fear/confusion, and to help them to find credible sources on which to draw a deeper understanding of the world around them. As a speech teacher, I cannot allow voices to be silent. Still, as a teacher in a predominantly conservative community teaching on Zoom, I must remain unbiased in my approach. There is no answer or guidebook on handling tough conversations when event after event of 2020 seems to have led to chaos and unrest. Still, through my reflections and the experiences of conversations with my classes this week, I have come to a few conclusions. 

The week before the initial COVID shut down, I started each class period sitting on my desk in the front of the room, asking students to share what they had learned about the situation, express how they were feeling, and ask any questions they may have had. It was easy to read the physical room and see their nonverbals. Allowing time and space to react collectively was more straightforward in person. On Zoom in the first week of a semester with all new students, I was unsure of how to safely and appropriately approach this conversation. Using Google Forms, Pear Deck (Which also came in handy during the week of the election), Flipgrid, and the Zoom chat, I could at least open the door to supporting my students through this unprecedented week. 

Effective communicators are good listeners. We need our students to know that we are here to listen. 

When discussing literacy in the classroom, conversations often revolve around reading and writing. Since we speak every day, we all must be well versed in oral communication, right? That assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. And while countless teachers often include speaking activities and presentations into their curriculum, we often overlook or forget to teach students how to be better listeners explicitly. This undervalued skill needs first to be modeled. I started class on Friday, stating that I was there to listen. Waiting in a few moments of awkward silence, I noticed that students sat taller in those moments. They scanned the screens. They were waiting to listen, too. While I have always struggled with wait time, I have learned that given students a few moments of silence to reflect, react, and process can lead to richer conversations and make students feel heard even if they do not unmute. 

Validating their fears and uncertainties is important. When people are scared, confused, and upset - they need to be told that their less than normal feelings in a less than normal time are valid. 

At one point this summer, a person used the words "We must have faith over fear" that we will be safe in schools during the pandemic. As a person of faith myself, I could not be more frustrated that a person would choose to 1. Use my faith against me, and 2. Disregard my very rational fears about the unknowns of the pandemic (Especially having a child with a chronic lung disease). My feelings then and now are real, rooted in science, and completely normal in unprecedented times. Likewise, my students' feelings and reactions to the Capitol, racial injustice, the election, COVID, and many other countless events in 2020 are real. Students have expressed a significant range of emotions and beliefs, and regardless of my own beliefs, it is my job to validate their feelings. There is no guidebook for coping with collective trauma. Healing often starts when a person feels heard. Teachers are not a counselor or social workers, but at the very least, we can make our students feel listened to and help them to take the next steps to seek out further help from trained professionals if needed. 

Teachers need to provide students with opportunities to give voice to their thoughts and ideas. 

Once students feel validated and safe, they are more likely to speak. While students are not required to share their ideas publicly, they can use their voices in various ways. Students can write, reflect, and post using tools like Pear Deck, Google Forms, and Flipgrid in anonymous ways that allow them to express themselves, release tension, and gain the confidence to continue to share their voices in future situations. Our students will be leaders in this country, and if we do not address these issues -- if we do not encourage THEM to address these issues, these issues will never be solved. These activities or opportunities do not have to be all-consuming. Teachers can start small with short and private SEL check-ins, but they need to be present in our classrooms no matter the modality of learning. 

Students need to be told that they can ask questions and need to know how to find credible sources and discern truth from fiction. 

In addition to expressing themselves, students need to know that it is okay to ask questions. No teacher has all the answers to any subject, but we know how to find answers. We know how to research and discern credible sources. We can separate biases and understand the range of biases in media outlets. As teachers, we can empower our students to do the same. Credibility and accuracy matters and can make all the difference in the decisions they make, the beliefs they hold, and the values that our students perpetuate out into the world for years to come. 

Did I do enough this week to support my students through yet another trauma of 2020(now 2021)? I do not know. Did I provide them with the opportunity to speak and to reflect? Yes. Our students need to be empowered to take a stand. Their words are powerful; my greatest hope as their teacher is that they will continue to use them well. 

Turning the Calendar: Focusing on What Students Learned in 2020

Turning the page on the calendar brings joy. It is a new year, and while the current state of the world will not automatically reset itself, we have strong reasons to hope that our classrooms will begin to feel "normal" by the fall of next year. While we slowly and cautiously return to a sense of normalcy, I am reminded of the lessons we learned in 2020. We were forced to make numerous changes during the 2020 calendar year, and those changes have come with growth and new insights that we might not have achieved without the necessary adaptations we made during the pandemic. 

Watching my kindergarten daughter reading on her iPad, I realize that while she has missed some of the milestones and strategies that she would have experienced if her school experience had been "normal," she has gained so much. As I watch my daughter navigate her device showing me how she can access her teachers' Bitmoji classrooms to find videos to teach her new skills like how to draw a reindeer, I realize that the common fear that students are "falling behind" is so far from what is happening. She's learned to use Seesaw to advocate for herself, use apps to search for resources, and is acquiring reading comprehension skills. I am amazed at the skills she has gained. 

As teachers, we have modified our practices, adopted new technology, and implemented instructional strategies. We have grown exponentially, and so have our students. While we reflect on how we've changed and what we may carry with us well into the future, we also need to reflect on how our students have changed. Their skills will also remain with them for the remainder of their educational experience and even into their daily lives. 

Students know how to navigate resources.

Many schools adopted new learning management systems or moved resources to an online platform that may not have used one before. Students have learned to access much more elaborate digital learning environments. They have learned to submit work, share, and connect online, which will be the necessary skills for countless students' future professional settings. They have acquired troubleshooting strategies and shortcuts to find keywords, resources, and lessons out of necessity. Despite the emails I have received (and I'm sure several educators have received, too) about not finding their work, students have learned to solve problems and learned to ask for help (or search for help online). I have also found that CC-ing parents on emails with walkthrough videos seem to magically fix the questions about not being able to find homework, too. 

Students have learned how to find the answers faster. 

In addition to navigating resources, students have learned to find answers faster. While there are far too many resources for students to find online that give them answers instead of teaching students to determine the answers themselves, they have learned to locate correct answers. These discernment skills can be refocused and capitalized upon when back in a more traditional classroom. As teachers, we will always need to help them discover how and why, but we do not need to teach them the "what". If students can locate answers faster, more time is available to explore the process, teach critical thinking, and reflect on what has been discovered. 

Students have learned to multitask. 

Much to teachers' chagrin, students have discovered that they can be chatting, watching YouTube, and "doing schoolwork" simultaneously. The number of ways that students have found to distract themselves is sometimes frustrating, but the implications of this skill are powerful. Productivity is powerful and can lead to more success in school and in the workforce. Despite distractions, students are learning to get work done or complete tasks. According to my exit surveys and discussions with students, they are also learning the painful lesson of procrastination. While students may not turn in their formative work or may have turned in too many assignments late last semester, they have gained a deeper understanding of budgeting time and how to work while simultaneously completing another task (or distraction). Students learn from failure and mistakes. We must remember that just because they may not have been the best students during a pandemic, that does not mean they didn't learn valuable life lessons. 

Students have learned to drive their learning. 

As the learning environment has become digital, students have been challenged to learn in ways that they might not have learned in a traditional classroom. Through the use of video and asynchronous activities, they have been tasked with learning new content independently. While teachers are still behind the lessons, not having a teacher sit next to them and walk them through every task has challenged students to acquire new skills independently. Watching videos, reading, or practicing skills on their own and in their own places has shown students that they can drive their learning. With more autonomy to choose the rate, place, and pace of academic growth, students have gained student skills that can help them in multiple settings. 

Students have learned to value education. 

Last year, we did not have a snow day. Students felt "jipped" that they didn't get an unscheduled day off. When March hit, everyone changed their tune about unanticipated days away from school. Teachers miss students in the classroom, and students realize that they miss school. Having experienced collective loss makes us appreciate what we had and what we will have again, once vaccinations and time to heal have been fully realized. Our mindset has shifted as we have learned how quickly things can be taken away. While I hope that we will never face a situation like this pandemic again, I sincerely appreciate how it has challenged us all to reflect and reassess our values. 

While I am saddened that my children are not in school right now and probably won't be for the rest of the school year because of underlying family health conditions, I realize how much they have gained - how much we have all achieved. I love my children, but I know that after ten months at home, I like them, too. We have learned to value our relationships, appreciate our experiences outside of the home, and realize the importance of learning anywhere. We have not lost or fallen behind as long as we take time to stop, reflect, and use the skills that we have gained moving forward. This pandemic has pushed us forward and provided opportunities that we would never have experienced otherwise. 

Using Station Rotation to Enhance Hybrid Learning

Station rotation is a powerful learning strategy that allows teachers to work with smaller groups of students in a more intentional way. Students can "move" or rotate between a set of stations in station rotation at pre-determined times - in groups or independently. The teacher can determine the number of stations, the size of groups, and the order based on what works best for the content area or lesson. Catlin Tucker, the guru of all things blended learning, has written extensively about different ways to implement station rotation into the classroom. I appreciate her resources because she is always presenting different models and encourages teachers to experiment to find what works best for their students. Experimenting and trying various models and groups is the key! 

As we continue in hybrid, distance, and remote learning for the spring 2021 semester, learning from her experiences and implementing station rotation elements into the classroom can make the challenges of pandemic teaching more sustainable. One of my most significant concerns about the upcoming semester is sustainability. When we spend the semester in hybrid learning, my goals are to:

1. Prioritize and foster strong relationships with my students.

2. Encourage autonomy and student-driven work.

3. Provide strong feedback and support to promote student learning and growth. 

4. Create meaningful experiences for my students.

At any given time, I will have 40% of my students in my classroom, 40% at home for the day, and 20% completely remote. Similar models have been implemented throughout the country. How do we achieve our academic goals in a classroom with three different groups? The best answer is to lean into and provide blended experiences for students. They are blended, not by choice or intention, but since this is the circumstance that we have found ourselves in, now is the time to lean in and innovate in ways that can be useful in years to come.  

Find ways to connect students in class and out of class. 

Using breakout rooms with students can allow students to connect and collaborate with one another no matter where they are located. Students in the red group want to "see" their friends at the other end of the alphabet. They want to connect and foster their relationships. Creating partnerships and connections between students in different groupings can foster relationships. Once students have been given breakout groups, they can "rotate" with these groups throughout a single period or over several days. When planning for this type of lesson, clearly establish each station's expectations and determine how students will make their learning visible. By creating opportunities for students to showcase their learning, teachers can assess student learning and determine where and when students might need additional guidance and support. Using a template with clear structure and formatting can help guide students and also hold them accountable. Setting timers in this format can help students to determine when they should rotate through the process.

 

Make yourself a station. 

When completing a whole class station rotation, teachers should establish themselves as a station. Working with small groups creates more time for one-on-one support and guidance. This time also provides the teacher with opportunities to answer questions and measure comprehension and growth. Even in a traditional classroom, my favorite part of station rotation is working with small groups. Students are more likely to answer more questions and seek support in smaller groups. We can develop stronger connections and foster relationships in this format as well. 

Be intentional with your time with your students in the classroom.

Thinking about the three groups of hybrid learning as "stations" helps with planning. Each group can be concurrently working on different assignments or engaged in learning experiences based on where students are physically learning. When students are in class, they have an opportunity to connect with their peers directly. They can collaborate (from six feet apart), communicate more freely, and ask questions. When in class, create cooperative learning experiences that encourage them to practice these interpersonal skills while also checking for understanding. While students are in class, it is essential to still engage and interact with the 60% of students who are not physically in class. Instead of completing readings, watching videos, or completing independent work, students can be more active and engaged in collaborative experiences. 

Building cooperative learning experiences for students allows them to apply course content in a group setting. I have created a weekly prompt or challenge in my speech class that will become a mini group speech. The challenge may require visual aid, research skills, or persuasive techniques, depending on the current unit. While students are drafting their speeches, I can work with other groups of students online. Finding a balance of time leads to intentional interactions between the teacher and students and students with their peers. 

Don't lose opportunities to connect with the students out of class. 

When students are not present in class, it is easier for them to disengage. Designing meaningful experiences and connections for students out of class keeps them actively involved in the learning process. I am always trying to multiple myself through the use of video and technology tools. Screencasting is a great way to provide direct instruction, even while not teaching an assignment live. When students are not in class, they can be acquiring new skills and engaging with course content. They can be reading, drafting, and writing, too. These stations can be more independent focused at times, but they don't have to be. 

I have 40 minute periods with my students, and I want to divide my time in a meaningful way. I will start my online students with an independent activity such as an EdPuzzle or reading, and then I will provide a time to come together with my online students to check-in. For example, if students are watching a 12-minute video through EdPuzzle, I can estimate that it will take 20 minutes to complete. While I prepare and check in with my in-class students, I can estimate that I can hold a discussion with my online student about halfway through the class. By connecting with them for 10-15 minutes, I will have time to bring the whole class together and reconnect with all students at the end of the period. Using this model, I will focus on timed stations to keep students on pace and track so that we can talk and collaborate and designated times. 

Create self-paced stations. 

The final station rotation element to consider is independent, self-paced stations. When students may need more direct support in the classroom, self-paced stations for students out of class can provide students more autonomy and control over their learning. Working at their own pace can allow students to be flexible with what they learn when making remote learning feel more manageable and more meaningful. Self-paced stations and asynchronous learning experiences also free the teacher up to provide feedback and remediation for students who may need additional support or more direct instruction. 

Regardless of what station rotation element one adopts into a classroom at a given time, the best part about this model of learning is that it creates flexibility no matter where students are learning. Finding ways to enhance the student experience, build connections with students, and make learning sustainable will be essential elements to consider in the spring of 2021. We can do this. It's okay if a lesson fails or a station flops. It is always okay to hit refresh any page of the lesson plan.

Ready for Anything: Lessons after a Week of Hybrid Learning

 

Alright, roomers and Zoomers. Is my internet connectivity working okay today?

Teaching during a global pandemic is no easy feat. After the first week of hybrid learning, I must say that I am left feeling frazzled and tired, but I am hopeful. Submersed underneath some technical hiccups and feeling that there are one too many spinning plates in the air is a sense of accomplishment. While our skills are being tested, they have also been sharpened. No, this situation is not okay. Yes, teachers, it is perfectly normal and acceptable to be feeling tired, defeated, and emotionally drained. 

Our students hunger for learning opportunities and human connection; they appreciate what was once considered mundane. They want to collaborate, and they have developed patience. What they have learned could never have been taught in a "normal circumstance." While we are far from being out of the woods in this global pandemic, we certainly can begin to recognize what we have gained.

Here are my takeaways from the first week:

Students are resilient.  

Students are resilient and will rise to new challenges - especially when they have strong relationships with their teachers and community. Leveraging those relationships can help create a more comfortable environment as everyone faces uncertainty. They ask questions when invited, and while it may take time to hear responses, they are doing the best they can. Students want to follow safety protocols and understand that those protocols are what make any in-personal learning possible. Even though switching from a four or five period day to a nine period day can be exhausting, they will rise to the challenge and adapt quickly. 

Remember, students are drained. 

While schedule changes that allow for more in-person opportunities are exciting to most, these changes are exhausting. Even for the most optimistic and self-sufficient students, new pacing to the day is problematic. In-class activities and more direct instruction are replacing the time they once had to do homework independently. Flexibility to choose the pace and place for learning has been taken away in many instances. There are benefits and drawbacks to all learning models, but the biggest challenge is acclimating to the present reality. Talking more, following safety procedures, and trying to remember what comes next takes a toll. 

Remember how you feel on the first day of school. Multiply that feeling by 10. Students are experiencing that exhaustion, too. We have to give our students opportunities to breathe, recharge, and work to establish clear routines to ease this drain as much as possible. Even in an ideal situation, students will be tired as they transition from remote to hybrid. 

Teachers are drained, too. 

Don't forget the classic analogy that we have to put on our oxygen masks before we put on the oxygen masks of others. Burnout will happen easily and quickly if we do not try to close the computer, relax, and recharge. There are many moving parts in this learning environment — students on Zoom, students in the room, and students who are always remote who need us. Remember, lead with relationships. Find energy from the connections we have with students. Give yourself grace, and when the day doesn't go as planned, simply try again tomorrow. It is okay to be drained; it is okay to say that it is too much. Sometimes admitting that is freeing and life-giving. 

Avoid overplanning. 

Teaching in a remote block schedule meant teaching 75 minutes. Now, class periods are 40 minutes every day, with students attending in person every other day. Instructional time in most models is down if teachers keep the in-class groups synchronous and the out of class group asynchronous. Factor in the drain and exhaustion of adapting to a new schedule, and 40 minutes feels more like 30 minutes. Students are trying to manage their feelings, and we need to embed time for that. Doing social and emotional check-ins can yield much better results in students than that extra practice activity. Providing work time can even open students up to engaging in self-disclosure or sharing how they are doing in school and in life. Cutting down on content, the number of practice problems, or even extending deadlines can lead to more productivity or strong final products. 

As teachers, we have a tendency to want to follow carefully crafted plans, but the best laid plans often go awry - especially in a global crisis. It is okay to let go. Not every learning activity or experience may work in a hybrid learning model. Debates, group activities, and Socratic seminars need to be adapted or even cut for the time being until in-personal learning can return. These changes can even happen in real-time. It is okay to revise; it is okay to create new activities and find innovative ways to collaborate. While students may not get the exact same experience as students in years prior, simplifying and alleviating activities that may not work in the current learning environment can save time and protect us from overplanning or overwhelming our students. 

Be ready for anything. 

According to the IDPH, my county's positivity rate has been upwards of 12%. We are at a warning level, and mitigation might happen to local businesses. If that is the case, the schools might also move from hybrid to remote. Some may be quarantined for exposure outside of school, which would lead to adapting to another instruction mode for all parties involved. Other teachers are permanently remote, like me, because of health issues. Anything can happen at a moment's notice. It is important to be ready for these changes. 

While this year will easily be the hardest year of many educators' careers, learning is happening. Creativity is being tested, and collaboration is creating great opportunities for better instructional practices for all. Despite technical failures or unexpected challenges that arise, we are powering through. We will make it through this pandemic, and we will be better for this experience. Keep finding ways to connect with others, but don't forget to pause for approximately 30 seconds when Zoom tells you that internet connectivity is low. 

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.