TL;DR: The missing ingredient to strong classroom management is building healthy relationships. Building relationships with students takes time. It won’t happen overnight, so be patient. Create positive relationships is a whole class effort, but it ultimately starts with you. The Worst Advice and the Toughest Year When I was in college I was told by multiple professors in the education department, … Read More
Building Classroom Community in a Virtual World
TL;DR: Strategies for building classroom community in a virtual world include using a user-friendly online platform, teaching expectations, utilizing breakout groups, assigning roles, creating goals, having a plan for students to seek assistance, providing opportunities for communication, and celebrating successes. Learning environments are crucial for providing students with opportunities to exercise their strengths and to overcome their weaknesses. A school … Read More
Building Relationships Online
TL;DR: You can build relationships online just as effectively as you can in person. Online relationships can be formed despite the barriers of time and distance. The relationships you build online can lead to long-lasting friendships. Build meaningful relationships with students in an online learning environment the same way you build connections online with colleagues. Building Relationships Online Started Early … Read More
How can I facilitate class discussions and group work?
TL;DR: Class discussions and group work can still be a part of a Grid Method classroom. Use your tracker, or progress monitor, to form groups for discussions or group work. The Grid Method provides opportunities for students to become leaders in the classroom. At first, using The Grid Method can seem like such a radical shift to your classroom structure … Read More
Building Community through Morning Meeting
TL;DR: Morning meeting is a time for students to gather, discuss the day’s events and lessons, and anything else on their minds. Morning meeting is a strategy for building community in a classroom. Each morning meeting is facilitated by the teacher, but is student-driven. At precisely 9:25 on Monday morning, the doorbell rings. Students put away their materials, quickly move … Read More