Hindsight is 2020: Ending the Most Unconventional School Year

Saying goodbye to this non-traditional school year has not an easy road to navigate. We have written the playbook while finishing the game, built the plane while flying in the air. Throughout this process, teachers have tried to make a collective trauma feel like a new normal for students. By sending videos, emails, and cards, we have tended to our students' social and emotional needs. Through structure, routine, and instructional activities, we have tried to keep their minds engaged. Surviving weeks of instruction have been our goal, but now we have been tasked with saying goodbye. While my school year ended a week ago, many local elementary districts and school districts are currently wrapping up their final weeks on a national level. How do we say goodbye to students we cannot see face-to-face? 

Start by creating a heartfelt end of the year assignments. No matter the subject taught, find a way to connect. Flipgrid is a great platform that allows students to see a teacher's face. This webtool allows for us to talk asynchronously and engage in powerful nonverbal communication. Prompts can be as straightforward as giving a graduation speech or a last lecture to a class or as creative as delivering a math-gram message to say goodbye using vocabulary from a year of geometry. Students could showcase how many planks they can do in a physical education class or embody a famous person to deliver a farewell address in a social science class. Be creative, and keep the content, but don't forget to emphasize the importance of communication and human connection. Students might find an assignment like this fun or engage because they're bored and miss your face! 

Ask students to write. Literacy is a critical skill in all disciplines. Writing allows them to express their feelings and also share their reasoning and logic. From solving a word problem in math to explaining how World War Two was won, they can use their words to demonstrate knowledge and understanding. We are living history right now, so find a way to encourage students to write to express their thoughts, reactions, and perspectives of the world in which we are currently living. Find ways to make final prompts relevant to their lives right now, and they will not only be able to demonstrate academic prowess, but they will also be able to express their current feelings. These writings can give a teacher direct insight into individual students while allowing them to amplify their voices as primary sources for this pandemic. 

Have them create a visual representation of their work. Whether it be creating a portfolio website or making work visible on a platform like Padlet, find a way to showcase student work. My favorite final project was having students make a COVID Time Capsule. This project allowed students to apply essential skills from my class and reflect on themes from other units while still personalizing the experience to their thoughts, feelings, and reactions during the quarantine. Students who had been disengaged previously picked up this assignment and wanted to share their ideas. They wanted to be able to express what they were experiencing from their perspective and needed that outlet. In my drama class, I had students write quarantine related monologues. These monologues gave voice to many different perspectives of people living on the pandemic frontlines working in hospitals, grocery stores, and delivering food. These projects fit my classroom, but the intention behind them could be applied in any discipline from creating a marketing plan for an essential business to designing a new fitness center in engineering that adheres to the CDC guidelines. Students can get creative and use the skills they have gained from any class to capture our collective experiences during the quarantine. Through pictures, drawing, creative presentations, or other multimedia projects, students can showcase diverse skills and share what they've learned in innovative ways. 

During this time, it is important to note that subjects such as art, music, and other electives have been incredibly invaluable during the quarantine. These subjects have always been the heart of our schools, and their significance has only been elevated. These elective subjects are why students get up and go to school; these teachers foster safe spaces for all types of students. Now more than ever, these teachers have created opportunities to express themselves. These creative projects and assignments do not have to remain in the elective realms. Find ways to offer students choice and opportunities to use their talents in your classes by encouraging them to create a rap about history, make a video demonstrating Newton's Laws of Physics. Challenge them to use their painting, drawing, vocal, musical, or dance skills and pair it with a final lesson or project in your classroom. The results will not only dazzle but inspire other students to engage, too. By encouraging students to use their talents, they will see the relevance and importance of core content areas alongside their passions and personal interests. 

Aside from fun end-of-the-semester projects, we need to gather information by allowing students time to process the end of the year in a more formal sense. No matter what subject or level taught, challenge students to reflect on the class experience and their own experiences. A short, personalized survey with a mixture of likert-style questions and open-ended questions can allow students to share valuable information with us as teachers. Keep the verbiage on the survey clear and positive. Frame an assignment or survey as a tool that can help you to become a better teacher. Encourage students to share what worked well for them and what could have gone better. Remote learning is a new educational format. The best way to improve is to receive authentic and meaningful feedback. After gathering both qualitative and quantitative data about the learning experience, challenge students to reflect on their engagement during this time. What they have discovered about themselves will continue to impact their learning styles and abilities moving forward. 

While surveys may look different at the early elementary level to upper high school, we should challenge students to reflect in ways that are meaningful for their developmental stage. Not only should we gather information about our class structure and instructional delivery, but we should take this time to challenge students to reflect on their actions and take ownership of their learning. How did they fair as students? How did they manage their emotions? What challenges did they face at home that impacted their feelings? Having students self-reflect on their actions and feelings during this time can allow us to target students who may need additional support in the summer. Gather social and emotional information and use that information to follow up with students in the summer. We might be off the clock, but as we have learned by teaching remotely, the clock may buzz at the end of a basketball game, but the clock in the teacher-student relationship game doesn’t end.

Ultimately, this is not the final goodbye. If anything, it has made me internalize the notion that my students will always be my students. Bound through uncertain times, we will forever have shared this historic time. In the end, it is okay to have fun. It is okay to shift gears away from tests and exams to reflect, create, and share. Teaching is a work of heart, and that love is what got our students through this time. It's that love that will continue to get through whatever they face beyond our classroom, too. 

Transitions and Takeaways: How Quarantine Schooled Us for the Fall

As we wrap up an extremely unconventional 2019-2020 school year, emotions are heightened. This goodbye was not the one we wanted and certainly not one we ever could have imagined. Still, there are several lessons to be learned. While I did not get to hug my students goodbye on the last day or pose for senior selfies as they joyfully strolled through the halls after senior breakfast, we did have moments that I will remember forever. We endured an extraordinary experience together, which in some ways will bind our memories and connections even more significantly than ever before.

As we step away from our makeshift classrooms now in living rooms, basements, or corners of our homes into the summer sun, we should take time to pause. We just endured a trauma. We brought our students through a collective trauma while attempting to offer some sense of normalcy and structure to their lives.

My students handled this quarantine with amazing grace and strength. They struggled, as we all did, but they learned the importance of vulnerability. They learned how much they value human connection, and they even realized that they missed school. Some had to work; some took care of younger siblings. Some closed their Chromebooks for a much-needed break; others found their strength in completing their school work. In whatever way they chose to cope, they all filled out their attendance on a Google form that contained a daily question and a video message that I created each morning at 6 AM in the hopes of staying connected, motivated, and inspired.

No matter what school looks like in the fall or well into the future, some themes remain the same. Conventional education, as we knew it, is most likely gone. Perhaps it will return to a more traditional look and feel for younger grades, but the older the student is, the more we can use the lessons from today to mold their experiences. So what are those takeaways?

 

1. Always be prepared.

As the Boy Scouts teach us, preparation is essential. We were given a moment's notice to shift all of our curricula to e-learning. Some teachers were more versed in educational technology or blended learning principles. Regardless of technical prowess, none of us were fully prepared for the social and emotional toll this situation would take on our students. None of us were fully prepared for the social and emotional toll this situation would take on us. Regardless of what tools or LMS platforms we use, we need to be prepared to find ways to foster relationships, encourage engagement, and support students academically and emotionally. As such, we need to seek out training and create plans to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of our students.

Having a standard building and district plan can help to create continuity and provide support for teachers. Thank goodness for the approaching summer months to become prepared for a tentative fall schedule. Now that we’ve built the airplane while flying, we can take time to land, regroup, and enhance our preparedness.

2. Classroom structure is important.

What helps increase comprehension and alleviates stress? Structure. Having clear classroom structure and routines allows students to know what to expect and increases personal productivity. The best feedback I received from students was that they liked having a week of content at a time. They liked knowing what was coming for the week, when assignments were due, and how a day fit into the week. During reflection time with students, they expressed feeling surprised often when they only knew what a class was covering in a single day. Similarly, they felt overwhelmed when they had an entire month’s calendar pushed out at them. Providing students with week-long guidelines gives them enough flexibility and understanding to manage their time better, prioritize their class load, and feel confident in their ability to finish. Students will find more success with a clear classroom structure and a picture of what is to come in the immediate time frame.

We establish routines and patterns in traditional classrooms. Likewise, we need to find ways to increase that structure in digital environments. Finding ways to mirror that structure in and out of the classroom can help us be more prepared for the shifts in learning that we may be doing moving forward. We need to anticipate being ready to leave school and be out for two weeks, one month, or longer. Having too much information pushed out to students can be overwhelming. Not enough information available frustrates them and makes them unable to budget their time.

3. Vary your instructional approach.

After talking with my students about structure, the amount of information provided, and the instructional approaches that their teachers took, one common theme was variety. Students said that some teachers provided too much rote work, meaning that they did the same learning activity day-in and day-out. Reading passages and worksheets have their place, but they are not the best practices. As educators, we know that worksheet after worksheet is ineffective, and we would never do that for eight hours a day in a regular classroom. In a remote classroom, with the summer to prepare, we need to up our game. Finding tools that can vary the learning experience will engage all types of learners. Tech tools that involve video creation and different learning modalities will allow students to learn in a variety of ways, much like what we would do in the classroom.

While we cannot recreate the classroom experience fully, teachers can use their toolbox of instructional approaches to find ways to challenge students. My students’ favorite tools were EdPuzzle and Flipgrid. They liked EdPuzzle (especially in math) because it forced them to interact with the video. They loved Flipgrid as it allowed them to engage in discussion asynchronously. In my classroom, I found that students seemed to be highly engaged with Pear Deck Student-Paced Mode. If I had to teach or introduce a concept, I made the presentation a Pear Deck, and I was amazed at the increase in engagement and interaction with course concepts. Taking risks leads to powerful learning experiences, even if the lesson fails. Do not be afraid to vary instructional practices; the results may be better than you ever imagined.

4. Leave no man... or gym uniform behind.

One of my biggest regrets on the last day of school in March was that I assumed we would be back in two weeks. I left many materials behind that I would have liked to have. For me, I left books. Others left technical equipment such as document cameras or other devices. Students left their gym uniforms, which then fermented in lockers for 70+ days. Whatever we left behind, the lesson learned from this quarantine is leave nothing behind if there is a warning of a school closure. In the future, closures will hopefully be much shorter and infrequent, but we must be ready for them. It is easy to take our school facilities for granted. Working from home comes with countless layers of challenges, but by taking a moment to stop and reflect on a few small items that may make the time at home easier or more productive definitely will pay off in the long run.

5. Be vulnerable.

Vulnerability is often associated with weakness. While I see the world shifting on this statement, I grew up being told by society that being emotional was a negative attribute. Emotions are our strength. Wearing my heart on my sleeve is what draws students in and keeps them returning. Creating a space for them to express frustration, and then giving the tools to take action to overcome a situation is empowering and life-giving. We are allowed to feel what we feel, but then we have to find ways to cope. We need to put our own oxygen masks on first before we put on everyone else’s mask. Processing through these experiences with my students at our weekly Google Meet check-in gave us all a space to be honest and receive encouragement. They each said a goal during those meetings, and I would follow up with personal emails later in the week. Holding them accountable for finishing their Calc homework or running the two miles that they wanted to accomplish kept them motivated, showed them I cared about them beyond how well they wrote a paper and gave us a sense of normalcy. I joked with my seniors that this would be the time that we were fighting - that they would be experiencing overwhelming senioritis, and I would be on their case about getting in that last paper. We would be fist-bumping as they walked out the door, and they would be showing me pictures from their ditch day adventures. While we did not have the opportunity to do those things, I believe that what we gained will prove to be far greater someday.

There is no playbook with how to cope with what we have all experienced. There is, however, a distance learning playbook that Jim Knight, a leading educational coach, is crowdsourcing with approximately 70 instructional coaches from around the county, but that is a blog post for another day. While we are still processing the challenges that have recently crossed in front of us, we know that the meaning of hindsight is that 2020 certainly makes us more prepared for whatever presents itself in the fall.

Better Workflow is Just a Hop, Skip, and a Jump Away

Running outside has turned into a live-action game of Frogger, in which I dodge left, right, run down the middle of the street, and even backward to avoid the onslaught of neighbors out for exercise. Seeing so many people taking advantage of our beautiful weather is so positive. Still, it makes sticking to the six-feet-apart rule difficult and a little dangerous when oncoming traffic makes its way down the street. The friendly faces I have waved at from a safe and healthy distance show that we are all making the best of the shelter-in-place order as a community. 

Managing workflow has been an equally challenging process. Unlike the original 1981 arcade game, there is no pattern to the emails, texts, and notifications that appear on one of my screens. Creating a system for balancing engagement with students, providing support to teachers, and connecting with my own three young children is hectic, but there is beauty in the bustle. 

How does one level-up on workflow? Establishing a routine, understanding what obstacles may come into view, and taking the note from Frogger to find metaphoric embankment on which to rest are crucial to this process. Above all, prioritizing relationships, whether that be a quick text with a friend, a video message to students, or playtime with the kids, is essential. Still, there are some ways to earn bonus points in the work-life harmony (or discord) happening in our house. 

1. Create to-do lists or checklists. 

According to The Checklist Manifesto author, Atul Gawande, an effective checklist provides reminders of important procedures and tasks. They are practical. We are receiving notifications on so many platforms right now, and a to-do list or checklist can remind us to complete essential tasks, reinforce routine, and allow us to accomplish goals (minuscule or substantial). As noted by the Business Insider, the act of writing a to-do list at night for the next day alleviates morning stress, allows time to prioritize tasks, and encourages goal-setting (and completion). For me, I love writing, and a majority of my time is spent typing on a computer. The act of physically writing out goals and tasks with a quality pen is relaxing and reinvigorating. While I am often deemed to be a “techie person,” creating and keeping a low-tech paper copy of my to-do list allows me to organize all of the tasks and people I need to communicate with on a given day into one location, which enhances my productivity and my ability to engage with others. And there’s something to be said about the joy crossing off a to-list item can bring. 

2. Take breaks.

Working at home comes with countless distractions. Accomplishing tasks can feel nearly impossible, especially with a full house of people. I am blessed with a five, four, and two-year-olds who bring great joy to my life but also quickly become restless. Taking movement breaks is healthy for them and healthy for me! I live near a half-mile loop that is a perfect distance for a quick walk with a little one. As noted by researchers at Boston University, resetting for 10-15 minutes improves productivity and one's ability to focus. While this study focuses on elementary-aged children, we all can benefit from the message - when movement becomes part of the routine, the benefits become exponential. 

3. Establish a routine. 

Nothing about this global pandemic is normal. How people feel, how they are coping, and how they are staying busy differs from one household to the next. I have seen a statement saying that "Yes, we are all in the same boat, but we are fighting different storms." We all have different work situations, family dynamics, and health concerns. Still, establishing a routine can help increase productivity and one's ability to cope with the present situation. Do events occur to throw our routines off? Absolutely! Being flexible and being in the moment are important, too, but an established schedule can bring comfort, motivate, and even help pass the time. Routines encourage us to form habits. Charles Duhigg writes in The Power of Habit that by creating a routine and a reward for that routine (my reward is crossing items off my to-do list), we can establish powerful habits that lead to increased success and a sense of accomplishment. So, if there was ever a time to make a habit of exercising, eating home-cooked meals, or reading a book from the list of books you've always told yourself you were going to read, now would be the time! 

4. Automate when possible.

Technology can save us time. Using tech tools that provide automatic feedback can allow us to be timely with our delivery of instruction and feedback, which motivates our students to continue to engage. The use of Google Forms automatic grading and customizable feedback can be used to help students assess themselves and provide instructors with useful data. Google Forms free-response questions can also be used to evaluate the social and emotional well-being of students. Kahoot, Quizziz, and GimKit can gamify reviewing major concepts and even entertain students while they demonstrate mastery of a skill or concept, while tools like Padlet provide spaces for students to post a myriad of artifacts and see what other students are posting. Students can even comment on each others’ posts, which places the responsibility of providing feedback on the class’s shoulders and not just the teachers. Flipgrid is another great tool that creates a sense of face-to-face communication, and the feedback does not have to be from just a teacher. Everyone can participate in responding to each other’s questions and interacting with each other. 

I have been trying to find ways to personalize my feedback to students while saving time. Emailing each individual student is a time-consuming process, but I believe reaching out on this platform shows a more personal level of care. I have tried to send a personal email once a week, and in looking to save time, I created a template. I made a message generic and relevant to all of my students who are all seniors in high school, and then I left a spot in which I could write more personal messages to each student. Using my daily attendance feedback, I tried to craft a few sentences that made each email personal to each student. While I cannot do this every day, every effort makes a difference! 

Maximizing the functionality of these tools and many like it can keep the engagement a little higher and allow teachers to be creative in how and when feedback is given to students. Automation does not have to be impersonal and can keep students engaged! 

5. Give yourself grace.

Finally, give yourself grace, give your students grace, and give your family grace. We are all experiencing and grieving so much right now. Processing the state of the world looks different for each person and different from day-to-day. Remembering that we are on this journey together can bring comfort. Allowing yourself to close down the computer and get outside when needed only makes you stronger for the next moment or the next experience. If the internet connection slows, you can respond to an email later. If a lesson flops, create another one for the next day of work. If only one student responds, know that you made a world of difference in that student’s life (and there are probably at least ten more that saw your message and appreciate it). We are in a profession that often does not see the fruits of our labor. This sentiment may ring true even more in remote learning. Remember that whatever you are able to give, provide, and communicate is enough. 

Somehow the game of Frogger has survived through four decades of iterations, and people still seem to want to play it. As I prepare to brave the cold on this day of non-attendance and play my own real-life game of Frogger in the streets, I am reminded that managing my workflow may be a little easier on some days than others. There will always be another email to respond to or an assignment to grade, and for that, I am grateful.

Rethinking Remote Learning: Relationship Building in Our New Normal

How are you staying busy - a common question floating around social media feeds and phone calls with friends and family.

With all the wavering emotions we are facing in these uncertain times, my family has tried to find small ways to spread joy to others each day. Focusing on others' feelings has allowed us to maintain our sense of optimism and positivity. Maintaining our sense of community is empowering and has given our days a sense of purpose.

Yesterday, our random act of kindness challenge involved surprise chalking the driveways of a few friends that live nearby. This family of five was not as stealthy as we had hoped as some of our friends stepped onto their lawn before we were able to finish for a quick chat and a wave from farther than the recommended six feet zone of social distancing. The littlest member of our tribe has cystic fibrosis. As a result, we have been cognizant of social distancing during peak illness times and quelling the spread of germs since his diagnosis two and a half years ago. This situation, for Jordan's sake and for every high-risk person, has us beyond scared.

Still, human connection is everything. While air hugging and messages from afar will have to suffice, we cannot allow ourselves to recluse into isolation and shut out the light that still shines in our world. Mental health is so important, and caring for the emotional well-being of others is what will allow us to get through.

What weighs on my heart the most is the emotional well-being of my students. Teaching three classes of high school seniors has me heartbroken at the losses that they are feeling and experiencing now. While we can tell them that the best is yet to come, currently, these milestones were ones they had been dreaming about and working toward their whole lives. This period marks the end of their childhood and will define them. I do believe that my students will create good from this situation and will be set on paths to change the world in incredible ways. I believe they will amplify their voices and use their stories to positively impact others, but still, there is a great sense of loss and grief being felt now.

During our adventures yesterday, my sweet Harper's first instinct was to run toward one of my former students and give him a bear hug. She has spent her entire life around the speech kids, who are extended family members to us. We all called out and swooped in to stop her from breaking the invisible barrier that will keep us all healthy and subdue the spread of this virus. At that moment, all we could do was cry at the sweetness of this small child and the sadness that we all felt with the uncertainty that surrounds us. Tears welled in our eyes as we were unable to greet one of our favorite families in the manner that we are so accustomed to doing so. She exemplified in one action a sense of innocence and love that we all still have for each other and cannot forget. No matter the physical or imaginary bars placed between us, we cannot forget to reach beyond them emotionally.

Which leads me to wonder what this new educational landscape will look like moving forward. How will we stay connected with our students as the March 31st return date approaches? What is the best approach to preserve and forge meaningful connections with them?

As we march into uncharted territory, it is okay for us to release our typical classroom expectations. Instead of focusing on standards and covering curriculum maps, we need first to prioritize the social and emotional well-being of our students and ourselves. As I begin to relook at my lesson plan doc and make recommendations to colleagues about how to proceed, here are my tips for embracing this new normal in eLearning.

1. First and foremost, keep lesson plans simple.

Students are not used to remote learning. While they have used educational technology and are familiar with the use of their devices, they are not used to learning alone. They will need guidance and support in locating materials, processing instructions, and submitting assignments. As such, lesson plans and instructions should be clear, simple, and straightforward. Focus on what you want students to learn, how they will practice it, and how they will prove they learned it. Keep students on one platform or webtool at a time. Avoid having them jump from webtool to webtool in a single lesson, and utilize the learning management system as much as possible to make material accessible. Less in this case truly is more.

eLearning Ideas and Walkthroughs

2. Use the technology that you are most comfortable with or have used before.
As we are not able to see our students in person, teachers are feeling pressure to recreate the typical face-to-face experience with webtools. Remember, learning a new webtool can take time and can be stressful for both the teacher and the students involved. Stick to tools that you feel most confident using because that is where you will find the most success. If you want to sprinkle in a Google Hangouts Meet or Flipgrid to connect with students in a visual way, great, but don’t feel the pressure to become an eLearning master overnight.

3. Allow yourself room to fail.

Some lessons may flop. The technology could fail, and students could disengage. It is okay if an activity doesn’t work, and it is okay to abandon one activity in place of another one that may garner more success. Being honest with students about a lack of familiarity with eLearning shows that you are embracing failure and that everyone can learn together. Students will feel more comfortable and confident in engaging in this new learning environment when there is room for failure.

4. Learn something new because now is the time to try it out (See #3).

Because now is the time to embrace the unknown, if you are daring, try something new. Several ed-tech companies are hosting webinars, posting resources, and opening up the premium versions to help support teachers and students. My favorite professional development experiences have been offered by Pear Deck, who is hosting live webinars for teachers new to this awesome Google Slides add-on. I am also a fan of Screencastify’s master class that provides short, targeted videos to support teachers in using their tool to engage with students. An all-time favorite resource for professional development is provided by EdPuzzle, who has several courses on a variety of topics - beyond just their webtool. Taking advantage of these resources can help now and also help expand a teacher’s tool belt when we return to a sense of normalcy in the coming school years.

5. Focus on relationships.

Reconnecting with students after nearly two weeks apart will be challenging. Some students may not have access to a strong internet connection, may now be watching siblings, or maybe experiencing varying emotions that are preventing them from connecting. Finding ways to foster the strong relationships that you have with students is the best way to keep them engaged. Once they are engaging and connected to their teachers, they will begin to interact with the lessons and activities that we are posting. The relationship piece has to come first and has to remain the priority.

 

This period of time will be recorded in the history e-books of the future. Political and medical institutions will undergo reforms because of this pandemic, and our first responders and service workers will be remembered as the heroes they are. As such, we need to shift our mindset and adapt to our current reality. We will get through this, and we will all continue to do the best that we can. As educators, our love for our students is often as deep as for our own families. Start there, and the rest will follow.

Stay active. Stay connected. Stay healthy, friends.

The Next Right Thing

My nuclear family has been watching all things Frozen on repeat. When Jordan does his CF treatments, he chooses what to watch, and his latest obsession is Frozen II, and I do not mind this choice one bit. As we memorize the movie line by line, we have started to jokingly debate about our favorite songs. Anna's segue song called "The Next Right Thing" has resonated with me on many levels. Josh initially scoffed at it as we listened to the soundtrack in the car. I’ll admit, the nonverbal portrayal of this piece significantly impacts the quality of the song, but in any format, the song contains a powerful message. Anna’s song not only encapsulates the plot, but it also succinctly conveys the purpose of the story, and I am moved by the notion that even when all hope seems lost, we can pick ourselves up and do the next task placed before us.

Throughout any given school year, unexpected tasks and roles will always arise. Never to this degree have we seen such a pervasive obstacle. We are in the business of people, working with students who come to us to learn, to be guided, and, most importantly, to be loved. While our efforts to move to e-learning can in no way replace daily, face-to-face interaction, our connectivity with our students will help us to maintain our relationships and show love to our school tribes in the best manner that we can. With this shift to e-learning, it is essential to acknowledge that our ability to instruct has been challenged. But for the time being, this new direction of learning is not optional; it is not an educational trend or fad. E-learning is paramount to continue our students’ education. Continuing forward with some form of learning is necessary to maintain a sense of normalcy in the minds of our young people. Our students are our second family, and we need to continue to find ways to lift them up. As we empower them through encouraging messages and alternative assignments, I believe that we will find greater strength as well.

When moving instruction online, it is important to remember a few key factors. First and foremost, keep instruction simple. Do not reinvent the wheel, and do not start using tools that you have never used before. Just like any traditional lesson, we want to remember our learning targets, consider how students will practice skills, and determine how students will prove that they have made progress. Patience both on the teacher and student end is imperative. Transitions take time and are not devoid of mistakes and growing pains. Students need to remain engaged and continue to move forward in the learning process so that when we can reconvene face-to-face, some growth was made. There will be some setbacks, and some students won’t complete all of their work. We cannot allow these minor frustrations to prevent us from taking “a step. Step again,” and make a choice to just “let it go.”

The tone of our schools, communities, and the greater world is heavy and bleak right now. Uncertain times and the impending fear of the unknown are weighing on us all to varying degrees. Our anxiety and "grief has a gravity," and our feelings have a way of making moments in history, such as now, seem insurmountable. The mood in our hallways last week felt similar to the hallways post 9-11 - ominous and quiet. While we walk "stumbling blindly toward the light," know that there is indeed light at the end of this tunnel.

This week, we have entered uncharted territory - not just in education but in our everyday interactions locally, nationally, and globally. We need to listen to the CDC and to credible sources that are imploring us to practice social distancing (Check out The Washinton Post's "Flatten the Curve" article). As we spend time in our houses away from others, we need to embrace technology to stay connected to one another. Our ability to support one another through any feelings we may have will help us to remain calm and find joy in our present situation. Acknowledging current feelings will also help the negative ones to subside.

Tomorrow is always another day. The challenges of today can and will drive us to move forward and grow as educators, mentors, and people. Being prepared, aware, and ready to embrace anything, I will continue to "do the next right thing" for my students, for my colleagues, and for my family. For now, we must remain vigilant to the advice of medical professionals, we must exhibit empathy toward others, and we must realize that while in some ways practices and protocols may “never be the same again,” we will return to a sense of normalcy. We will get through the woods, and we will emerge stronger than before. The next right thing is to demonstrate resilience and move forward. We can do this!



*If anyone needs help or support with e-learning, here are a few resources that I have created. I am happy to share ANYTHING I have! Remember, that while it seems that “nothing will ever be the same again," some things - like the strength of our community - never change.

Video walkthroughs:

• Flipgrid
• Screencastify
• EdPuzzle
• Padlet
• InsertLearning
• How to Make a YouTube Playlist

Google Slides Presentations:

• Flipgrid
• Padlet
• Video Creation
• Super Apps and Extensions
• InsertLearning
• EdPuzzle
• Formative Assessment Tools for Higher Education
• Tech Tools

Making Our Connections Count in 2020

Moving into a new decade is an opportune time to reflect on personal and professional growth over the last year and the previous decade. The 2010s were marked by significant changes in the classroom environment, new opportunities forged by the advancement of educational technology, and an increasing need for social and emotional learning. With each passing year, students continue to change, and so must educators adapt to serve their current audiences. My 2019 involved migrating to a new educational platform, exploring blended and online learning, and seeking a greater understanding of my role as an instructional coach. Through these experiences, I realize that in spite of the evolution of our society, culture, and our students, one aspect of education remains constant and critical to the success of our students today and moving forward - and that is connection. 

It is when we connect with others beyond merely teaching facts and skills that we successfully empower and educate students. But how do we foster authentic and meaningful connections when we feel pressure to cover the required curriculum or meet deadlines? How do we remain sincere and genuine in our delivery during difficult days? 

1. Focus on getting to know the audience. 

As a speech teacher, this is the first lesson I teach my students, and much to their chagrin, I make them recite it back to me at least once a week. Who is/are the most important person/people in the room? The audience. To inform, engage, persuade, and, most importantly, inspire others, we need to tailor our messages to our audience. Understanding the students (or teachers) in front of us allows us to craft ideas that will resonate with them. Using personal stories and references that are meaningful to the audience makes the message more impactful and influential. The goal of any speaker is to deliver a message successfully. Likewise, the goal of a teacher is to educate students, and to educate students, we must understand and connect with them on their level. 

In an age in which social and emotional learning is at the forefront of our minds and professional development experiences, we must recognize our students' well-being. We need to empower students with coping skills and cultivate empathy. When we can support students emotionally, they are far more likely to engage and grow academically. 

2. Adapt as needed. 

Lessons need to be relevant to students' learning styles and emulate real-world experiences. What was successful and effective decades ago need to be rethought and restructured to meet the needs of the current audience. While we do not need to remove tried and tested methods of instruction, we do need to consider the audience carefully as we craft our current curriculum. Change is hard, but sometimes, we need to get over it. Changing for the sake of change is tiring and ineffective, but taking time to recognize when change must occur is the mark of an exceptional teacher and can lead to more meaningful experiences for our students. 

Change or adaptation does not need to happen on a yearly or semesterly period either. Making adjustments to teaching practices does not need to be a complete philosophical or curricular shift either. Adaptation can occur in the moment. I am a planner, and like many teachers, I make my semester-long roadmap at the beginning of the semester, but I reevaluate every week and even every day. Some classes of students come to me more accomplished writers than others. Some classes need more explicit instruction and practice with crafting claim statements. The ability to adapt is crucial, and creating personalized lessons has provided me with resources to differentiate instruction for my current students. Learning is about the process - not necessarily the final product. Working through and embracing the process can lead to wonderful outcomes. 

3. Radiate energy. 

According to Joan Young, author of Encouragement in the Classroom, a positive classroom environment can increase student engagement and achievement, and it is something that is in our power as teachers to control. While we have all experienced a more challenging mix of students or time of day can impact the mood of the students, and thus the classroom as a whole, teachers have the power to choose their attitudes and approaches with students. Greeting students at the door and saying goodbye as each one exits takes energy but makes a world of difference. Sometimes that energy is difficult to expend, especially on tough days, but reframing one's attitude to see the best in the moment can sometimes reverse even the most tired or exhausted feelings. A mindset change can spark and reignite the flames for learning and create more connections with students in the process. 

Connecting emotionally with students will alter their attitudes, even if the change is subtle. When students know they are cared for and that they are in a safe environment, they will engage. They will work harder when they know that the adult in the room believes they can achieve their very best. That energy and momentum is contagious and will create a much more connected and communicative learning environment. 

4. Keep communication consistent and clear. 

Perhaps it is the communications teacher in me or simply the fact that we encounter thousands of messages a day, but communication is a necessity to connectivity. As John C. Maxwell emphasizes in his book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, that even though we may exchange messages with others does not mean that we are authentically connecting with them. Our words must be sincere, thoughtful , and emotional. We must radiate energy and intentionality in the communication we engage in within our classrooms, but we also need to remember to be clear. Directions and expectations must be clear and direct. If students are unsure of what to expect or what the expectations are, they will not rise to their highest potential; they will disengage. The clarity in our directions and precision in our feedback can help students to understand the learning environment and our content more effectively. Ultimately, it is everyone's goal as a communicator to be heard. To move beyond basic comprehension of our messages, however, we must connect. We only connect when our communication is devoid of barriers that may inhibit understanding. 

5. Be authentic. 

Even though young students often believe that teachers live at school and sleep on cots underneath their desks, we are, in fact, human. We have lives and go out into the community. I even run into my students at the gym. Teenage boys are really awkward and really funny when they realize that their English teacher could potentially outrun them in a distance race. 

I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, perhaps to fault, but I believe in authenticity. I believe in showing my students my human side, and while I might talk about my biological children a little too much, my personal life allows them to understand how I have arrived in the classroom that we share. It reminds them that they are allowed to be human too. We all have happy days and tough times. Those experiences shape us and provide us with fodder to grow, learning, share, and understand. Our experiences give us empathy, perspective, and allow us to connect. Our feelings and shared emotions are what life is all about. Being authentic leads to kindness and leads to a more productive experience for all. No matter where life takes my students, my greatest hope is that they learn that they can connect to others will allow them to succeed and find happiness in this world authentically. 

Returning to John C. Maxwell's book, "connectors create an experience everyone enjoys." Life is too short not to feel connected to others. Our connections are what make us stronger, better people, and it is our connections that allow us to share out our gifts with others. May 2020 be the year of making sincere and authentic connections with others. May 2020 be filled with joy.