Techy Tips for Starting Class and Crafting Connections

Crafting Meaningful Connections

At the core of me being an educator, is crafting meaningful connections and relationships with each and every one of my students. Kids won't learn from teachers they don't like. What is the point of being an educator if you're not effectively impacting student learning? Furthermore, sometimes a teacher is the only meaningful adult relationship in a child's life. All teachers know that their job description is not actually their full job. A teacher is also a child's counselor, therapist, role model, mentor, cheerleader, and more. By developing a meaningful relationship, an educator can positively impact a child's life in limitless ways. 

Quote by George Couros | Sketchnote by Sylvia Duckworth

Starting Class

Those first few minutes of class are the most valuable minutes often wasted by educators. Those first few minutes are first impressions an educator can make daily and opportunities to connect with each and every student on a daily basis. Oftentimes, those minutes are wasted by taking attendance, checking homework, or immediately jumping into a lesson. That's how I used to spend the first few minutes of class. Over time, I've learned to leverage that time to craft connections with my students and build meaningful relationships with them.

A few ways I do this in addition to greeting students at the door is by:

Daily Check In with Google Forms



I first learned this from Mari Venturino when she posted it on her blog. I started this current school year with my own version of the daily check in form and I can confidently say that I know my current students better than I have known my previous students. By simply providing my students with an opportunity to share with me what's on their mind, I have learned so much about my current students.

My students know that as soon as they get to class, to log on and complete my daily check in. It has become so routine that it only takes seconds for my students to get to the form. While they complete the daily check in, I skim over their responses to see how they're doing and take attendance. 

I am only halfway through this current school year and I have already had numerous conversations with any student that marked a "1" on the form or has noted something about their personal life that was concerning. This daily check in form has allowed me to know so many things about my students that they probably would not have felt comfortable sharing otherwise. This form has allowed me and other school personnel to intervene when necessary in regards to a student's well-being. 

Besides sharing information that might be concerning for a teacher, I also have students share with me good things in their lives. I know when my students have had a good weekend or when an audition or important game is about to happen in their lives. I know when my students are are happy about an upcoming trip with their family or when their favorite sports team won. It's these little things that allow me to really get to know my students well and continue building that relationship with them.



Daily Starters

In addition to the daily check in form, I also have my students complete daily starters. I always have a prompt on my projector or posted online for my students to complete. I never skip this or waste this time. This is part of those valuable first few minutes of class to really connect with students.

What are my daily starters?
  • #MotivationMonday
  • FOTO
  • Reviews
  • "How was your break?"

#MotivationMonday

This was inspired by my colleagues Christina and Shameemah. Together, we would find compelling YouTube videos to show our students on Mondays to start our week on a positive note. These videos rarely have to do with what we're teaching. Instead, they focus on character, inspiration, and motivation. The prompts often will ask students to share something about themselves or to get them to think about something outside of school or being a student.

Here are examples of my #MotivationMonday starters:

  
 


Here are examples of prompts we've used:


Give one, get one! Feel free to take from what we've used so far or add to it!

FOTO (Can you Figure Out This One?)

This idea was from my friend and former colleague, Katie. She came up with this to incorporate current events and relate what students were learning to events happening locally, nationally, or globally. What started out as an idea to incorporate current events actually resulted in me getting to know my students because when discussing the event, students got to share their own experience related to the event or prior knowledge. Students were able to share their personal experiences with natural disasters, personal connections to events, or cultural background.

I try to do FOTOs once a week on our block day schedule since we have a longer period to allow for a lengthier discussion. I also try to consciously pick compelling images of events from around the world and try not to have too many related to the same event or from the same region. I enjoy challenging my students to think critically using these as opportunities for my students to practice inquiry and communicating their thoughts using evidence (Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skill!).

Here is what FOTOs look like on my daily starter:

1.  I start with the usual FOTO prompt.


2.   Then, I change it to a larger picture. The textbox is hidden at first.
After we share out what students think and discuss, then I reveal the textbox.



3.  Finally, I always have a map showing location and I try to find a short video that summaries the event.

Reviews

At least once a week, I spend the starter time asking students to review what they've been learning using Quizlet, Quizizz, or Kahoot - my favorite digital formative assessment tools. They're quick and give me immediate feedback to my what my students know and what concepts I need to review. 

My prompt for this this starter is usually - After playing (Quizizz, Quizlet, or Kahoot), what do you need to review?

I always allow students to view their results after Quizizz or Quizlet. If playing Kahoot, I go over each question. This allows students to reflect on their learning, be aware of their understanding or learning progress, and for me to quickly check in with my students to see where they are at. I look over the results of the formative assessment on the program, but seeing what students write on their daily starter is sometimes more valuable because students are self-reflecting and tells me what they are aware of.



How was your break?

Finally, I love using daily starters to check in on my students to see how their long weekend or break was. I am aware that students sometimes don't have "good" breaks due to family situations, hardships, or a multitude of things that are going on in a young person's life. However, I try to have them focus on a positive to share with me. When I look these over, I know which students I may need to pull aside to check on, but also gives me a glimpse at what home life is for many of my students.


"Every Child Needs a Champion"

I think every educator at some point has seen Rita Pearson's TED Talk "Every Child Needs a Champion." If you haven't, watch it! I have seen it countless times and every time, it still touches my heart and soul as an educator because of its emphasis on relationships. This is my reminder as to why I became an educator. 



How do you start class and craft connections?

Do you do something similar in your class? What are other ways teachers can craft connections using those valuable first few minutes of class each day? Comment below or connect with me on Twitter!

Comments

  1. Very timely! Thanks for this. I am working with teacher candidates about meaningful COMMUNICATION and these ideas are perfect.

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    Replies
    1. #JosephDennis :)

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    2. Thank you! Yes, meaningful communication is so important to building relationships with students. That is so great that you can inspire future teachers!

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  2. How did you put the bitmoji and script writing into the top of the google form? Thanks!

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