TL;DR: Counselors can continue to support school communities by digitally providing resources, ideas, and learning opportunities. CASEL’s SEL Roadmap for Reopening Schools helps guide counselors’ efforts to connect with students. There is value in all educators delivering SEL content to students. Resources from American School Counselor Association (ASCA) are shared. “We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen … Read More
Virtual Restorative Circles
TL;DR: Restorative circles are personal class discussions. Some benefits of restorative circles for your students include building community and creating a sense of acceptance. Restorative circles can provide a safe environment for students both in-person and virtually. I learned of restorative circles at the December 2019 AIMS Network Conference. The session I attended described how these circles transformed classroom culture … Read More
Building Relationships with Staff Online
TL;DR: Build relationships with staff by maintaining a consistent connection, having fun, removing obligations, and engaging everyone. Having a game morning meeting, using social media, and having office hours to chat, brainstorm, or ask questions are just some ways to strengthen relationships with colleagues. Thinking of your colleagues as a family can help foster successful relationships. “Education is understanding relationships” … Read More
Addressing Character, Excellence, and Community Remotely
TL;DR: Addressing character, excellence, and community with your students is a necessary part of education that should not be forgotten in a virtual setting. Strategies for addressing character, excellence, and community remotely include modeling appropriate character for our students, providing opportunities for student empowerment, and being there for one another. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – Peter Drucker. When wading … Read More
Best Practices for Communicating with Families
TL;DR: Strategies for best communication practices, including being proactive, making time for what’s important, keeping it simple, and being consistent. Using ClassDojo, ClassTag, SeeSaw, Remind, emails, phone calls, notes, postcards, and social media as tools to communicate and stay connected with families. Now more than ever, parents and teachers need to work as a team for the benefit of our … Read More