COVID-19 Groups
The anxiety levels are unheard of, and uncertainty surrounds us all. But much like soldiers sent to war, we teachers are sent to school with a mission, perhaps it is a mission no one asked us about; nevertheless, it is what we signed up for, so to school (of some sort) we go.
How do we manage real in-depth learning and meet the social/emotional needs of our students? Ladies and gentlemen, teachers of all ages, we are now the exploders of new territory. So, let’s explore.
If you only have the use of Google Classrooms, or if your district has a Learning Management System (LMS) like Canvas etc., we can still work in groups. The key to keeping students engaged is to keep them moving. Therefore, even with remote learning, we must keep them moving. It is a bit more work (which of course as enlisted personnel you must do with no additional compensation) but in order to achieve the objectives, we teachers will have to dig deep and dig hard. Some things never change.
As with the book Roll Call: It’s Not Just A Name, It’s A Beginning we can still follow the step-by-step guides. During your online meetings, do roll call. Yes, you can see they are there, but by having each student answer the question of the day, you are still building relationships. Post the question or the statement of the day and let that be your “warmup.”
Depending on the technology your district is using, you will need to create groups in advance of the class. Have those groups discuss together the topic of the day, following the protocols of group/circles. You can assign the topic as “homework” and then in your remote class, monitor all the groups discussions (inserting your thoughts or guidance). Give the students a time limit, then when the time is up, have the group leader post their group’s final answers in the “all class” discussion, then continue with the class discussion.
Will there be bumps and hick-ups along the way? Absolutely! But as I said in the book, order The Cheeseburger and try. This includes the teacher. We must try.
I will try to post at least twice a week about my own classes. What we did well, what needs work, and what was an epic fail. The goal is about creating and adapting to the ever-changing situation. After all, we teachers must be the role model—our kids are depending on us.
Lucinda Handshoe 