Building relationships when you go back to school is essential! I have found the relationship I build with a student is the best predictor of the growth that child will achieve throughout the year. This is why I spend so much time the first weeks of school building relationships with my students and giving them opportunities to trust each other.
How do I build strong relationships when going back to school this year?
Distance learning and social distancing make building relationships so challenging. I have put together a list of my favorite ways to build relationships during this challenging time.
Show them your smile!
Medical professionals all over the country have started wearing buttons with their picture to help patients see who they are talking with. This is a great way to help our students see our face and start building that relationship with us. Even better, create buttons or badges for each of your students so they can see each other too!
Check in with them from home or school every morning!
One of the most challenging things last spring was communicating with each child. This was after relationships had already been established. I created digital morning check-ins using Google Forms™. I love them because you can see the status of the class at a glance.
Each check-in includes 4 questions (academic, SEL, and just for fun).
- The first asks how they are feeling and students respond by clicking on emojis that show their mood that day.
- The second is a question designed to gather information about each student and start to build connections. Some are fun “Would You Rather…?” questions. Others ask about their interests in and out of school. The questions change each day!
- The third question asks if students have any academic questions about what you are currently working on in class. This is a great way to find out who you need to check in with right away during instruction.
- Finally, the last question is open ended. It simply asks the students if there is anything they would like to tell you about. This allows open communication and you can mention what they told you about so they know you care (when appropriate).
Test them out with the free 5 day sample or dive right in with the year long bundle!
Help them feel comfortable!
Let’s face it, no one likes to wear a mask. Due to social distancing, many students probably spent the majority of their time recently at home. They may not feel comfortable wearing a mask. I love this art activity from Cassie Stephens. She has an amazing instructional video which walks students through the steps of creating a selfie (with a mask). The mask folds down to reveal all of the things that make them unique and amazing.
Help them interact with each other!
I have seen many different teachers talking about creating cardboard hands so students can high five the teacher or their classmates. Genius! Have students trace their hand out on cardboard and decorate. You will probably want to cut out the hands as cardboard is tough. Then attach the cutout to a yard stick or something similar. Viola! Socially distant high fives! What a great way to celebrate and connect with each other.
Play games!
Have fun! Games are a great way to engage students and make them want to return to school (whether it is the brick and mortar building or distance learning). Right now, the best way to play games is digitally. This way you don’t have to sanitize pieces and students can keep their distance. Here are some of my favorite digital games to build back to school relationships!
- Would You Rather…? Back to School Edition Would You Rather…? questions are so much fun! These cards are split into 3 categories, Just for Fun (Would you rather wear shoes 1 size too small or 4 sizes too big?), Tricky Situations (Would you rather tell a lie to spare someone’s feelings or tell the truth even if it hurts a friend?), and Learning Style (When learning something new, would you rather read directions or watch someone do it?). Display the digital cards in class or share during your online meetings.
- Digital Bingo – Play bingo and learn about math, ELA, and social studies topics at the same time. The best part, these bingo games are digital. No small pieces to pass out or game boards to get bumped in the middle of the game!
- Teacher Says – Get them moving around with a rousing game of Teacher Says. Students can play from wherever they are! At their desks or in the living room!
- Red Light/Green Light – Take students outside to play games. Red Light/Green Light is a great one to get them moving and still keep a distance from each other.
I hope you have an amazing start to your new school year! Please comment below or send me a message with your relationship building ideas. Keep in touch by signing up for my subscriber list and free digital library!
– Mary
