My first week of distance learning will be used to build my classroom community!
Here are my 3 main goals for the first week of distance learning.
- Connect
- Communicate
- Plan fun activities
Connect– First I will connect with each family by phone, email and/or Zoom. For me, this is a conversation to get to know the child and the family. I ask parents to provide insight-with a questionnaire- so I can get to know their children. During the week, I will check in with each family several times to be certain that students and families are feeling comfortable with distance learning. Consistent connection is the foundation of quality distance learning. Developing a partnership with parents and families is crucial to the connection.
Click below to get your free copy of the parent questionnaire.
Communicate -Let your families and students know how to contact you. I provide a phone number, email, Facebook group and communication through our online learning platform-Seesaw.
I have found providing multiple ways to communicate helps parents stay connected. Share your schedule and your expectations. In my experience, parents are usually supportive when I am clear with my procedures and routines.
Plan– Plan to connect and develop relationships with students and families. I am planning to meet with my whole class, small groups and maybe even individuals if needed. My goal is to help families and studentst to be successful. I am planning videos to record to teach parents how to use our distance learning platform-Seesaw. We used in the spring, so hopefully the transition will be somewhat smooth!
For the first week I will do something fun each day! In the weeks to come, I will also plan sharing days to continue to build that connection.
In my back to school letter I will let families know about these activities so that they can prepare ahead of time. Here are my plans:
First week Fun Ideas
Day 1- Give out directions for a me bag where student put items in a bag and share about themselves. -Read this blog post for ideas and click on the picture to get your free Me Bag directions.
Day 2-Counting and patterns activities– Give students something to count in their home. For example, count all the spoons and forks; count all your windows and doors; add together the number of doorknobs and windows; count up the number of drawers or cupboards in your house and subtract the number of people. You can also discuss patterns-numbers, shapes, colors. Students can share patterns that they see in their home. Adjust these activities to suit the needs of your students.
Day 3 Dress up day-Choose a theme for a day-wear school colors; wear a funny hat; dress up in a costume; or crazy hair. The possibilities are endless! During your meeting, students can share why they chose their costume or their hat that day.
Day 4 Scavenger hunt-Provide students a list of items to look for in their home. There are different ways to do this-Find something in your home that starts with the first letter of your name. Find something fuzzy, soft, hard, tall, short or a certain color.
Click here for free scavenger hunt ideas.
Day 5 Would You Rather-Students love to answer would you rather questions. This is a fun way to get to know your students! Grab this freebie for ideas.
Click on the picture for September Would You Rather. Want more monthly Would You Rather activities? Go to my TpT store !
Finally, two more blog posts that you might find helpful for your distance learning and teaching!
Until next time!
~Angel
