Getting to Know Your Students in a Virtual Setting
Highlander Institute Spotlight Series
What?
How do you meet your students over a video meeting? How can students connect and get to know each other virtually? Getting to know your students individually and collectively just needs small adjustments with tools and delivery for hybrid or distance learning. This spotlight will share two strategies to begin to build rapport and community connections with students. Through activities featured in this spotlight, teachers will be able to create safe, efficient, collaborative learning environments where students are seen, valued, cared for, and respected. The development of caring student-teacher and student-student relationships supports identity-based learning, intergroup awareness and understanding. Once these relationships and trust are established, students will have the confidence to persevere through challenges.
Why?
How?
- Example Student Survey
- “I Am From” poem template
- Sample Student Response “Where I’m From” poem by Natalie Wright (Scholastic)
- How to Build Relationships Virtually: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers (Albert)
- Getting to Know Your Students Through Journaling
- Cultural Pie Activity
- “I Wish My Teacher Knew” strategy (BetterLesson)
- Family Colors: Interviewing Our Families (Teaching Tolerance)