Steps to Make Your Students Feel Welcome This Fall

‘ Planning for the “unexpected” ’

How do you plan for the unexpected? That is what every educator is asking themselves this summer. At this time, my district and others are making decisions that could change quickly depending on how the pandemic develops. I have accepted that my planning will have to do double duty with lessons for both in-person and distance-learning formats and I will need to be able to move from one to the other at the drop of a hat. I am expecting I’ll start the year with in-person classes and then switch to distance learning when needed. Here are the activities I have come up with so far to start this unique school year.

As hard as distance learning was last spring, at least I had seven months to get to know my students. Therefore, I am going to dedicate more class time than usual to developing rapport. I usually spend the entire first day talking about the class and going over the syllabus. This doesn’t make sense now. I may only have a few weeks until distance learning, so the key is for me to get to know them and for them to get to know me and each other.

Socially distanced ice breakers like “Sit down if ...,” “This or That,” and “Fact or Fiction” will give us a chance to know each other while developing a sense of community. I’ll use questionnaires to learn about their interests and hobbies. We will have class discussions about how we are feeling about the school closures, how distance learning went in the spring, and, if students are ready to share, their feelings on the recent protests against police violence and the Black Lives Matter movement.

There are things I do to start the year that can still be used now. I will still be able to show a PowerPoint that shares things about myself and my family, allowing students to know me as a person. Students will be able to do an Autobiographical Poem about themselves, giving me a chance to assess their use of Google Docs and their level of independence in completing an assignment. Some class time will be spent going over how our common procedures, such as trips to the water fountain and borrowing pencils, will have to change. Contacting parents right away and developing a line of communication will be a priority if distance learning develops.

Setting up class routines to provide structure, predictability, and normalcy are key goals for the beginning of the year. I will continue to assign Do Now questions, whether in the classroom or in remote learning, to maintain structure and use the prompts as a way to assess my students’ feelings and experiences. A class lesson creating a contract and positive-reward system will ensure that we all protect each other’s health and commit to follow safety rules. We can create this contract by having a class discussion around what we want the class to be like, what we need to do to bring this about, and what the consequences are if members do not follow these expectations. A written copy of the contract will be created as a visual reminder of our promises to each other.

Google Classroom will be set up in the first week, and class time will be given for students to practice using it and to understand what is expected in terms of work completion and quality. We will use the different technologies and websites I am considering for distance learning during this in-person class time. Student feedback about these technologies will be collected to tailor these experiences and ensure their success during possible remote learning. Choices concerning units and materials will be based on how easily these can be switched to a distance learning format. I’ll choose texts that are available in digital and audio formats. My class book talks will introduce these books to students and give them a chance to vote on the ones they want to study to ensure their enthusiasm and ownership.

I plan to be gentle to myself, my colleagues, my students, and their families. This is, above all else, the most important thing I can plan for in these unusual times.