I’m still shocked and in disbelief, but here we are planning for the first week of virtual school. We will be starting the school year virtually this year.
In the past, I’ve shared with you my day-by-day plans for the first week of school. These plans won’t exactly work this year, but many elements will.
While I don’t know exactly what “school” is going to look like this year, I do know that the first week of virtual school will need to include the same kinds of activities that we usually do in order to set expectations for the year and build relationships with students .
Setting Expectations
Use Picture Books
My favorite way to discuss behavior expectations is through the use of picture books.
If you have hard copies of these books, you can record yourself reading them to your students.
If you don’t have them or can’t access them, try finding read alouds on YouTube or eBooks on platforms like Epic and StorylineOnline.
One of my favorite lessons for the first day of school that will totally still work is using Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse to teach inferences in addition to using it as a get-to-know-you activity.
Grab the freebie here, which will totally work virtually if you use TPT’s new “create digital activity” tool for Google Classroom or if you upload the PDF to Seesaw.
Check out the video below to hear more about the lesson.
Anchor Chart Alternatives
I think students take more responsibility when they are involved in the process.
If your students are able to , you can use Padlet as a common work space for students to post their ideas, just like they would sticky notes.
Or if you have younger students and live meetings, you can make the anchor chart yourself as students share. Take a picture when it’s done, and post it somewhere that students can refer to!
Introduce Technology Tools
Make sure that students are familiar with technology tools right away, and give them chances to practice.
If you need to, do some screen-sharing during live meetings, or pre-record a screencast to show students how to find and access online tools that they will need for virtual learning.
Read some video tips I shared in the spring if you need more insight.
Building Relationships
You already know that building relationships with your kids is going to be even more difficult this year, so make it a priority right away.
TAKE NOTES. Print a list of your students’ names, and write down important facts (sports, interests, pets…) as you learn them.
Many of my back to school resources that teachers have loved using for years have been updated or can be adapted to work online.
Use Surveys
I usually give my students simple surveys as their morning work during the first week of school. I like to ask them about their learning preferences, holidays they celebrate, and basic interests that I can refer back to throughout the year.
This year, I think it’s still important to survey your students. You can easily do this using Google Forms, which will work for you even if you don’t use Google Classroom. (As long as you have your own personal Google account, just share the link with students!)
Making surveys through Google Forms is very simple, but if you want to save some time, I have created some for you.
These surveys are editable so you can tweak them to meet your unique needs this year.
Find this resource here, or inside the back to school bundle.
All About Me Four Corners
So if you aren’t in your classroom this year, you obviously can’t play four corners. However, this can easily be used during live class meetings online. Simply share your screen with your students and have them hold up fingers to show their answers.
I like to have a short discussion after each question, asking students to share more about their answers. Maybe do a few questions a day for the first week of virtual school, and take notes as needed!
Find this resource here, or inside the back to school bundle.
First Week of Virtual School Writing Activity
This is a favorite of mine that I use year after year. Students write about how they feel about coming back to school, their favorite summer memories, and predictions for the new school year.
This is a great assessment tool to get a feel on your new students’ writing abilities. Keep one of the pages as a work sample, if you need one! Most importantly, it’s also a fun way for our new students to share information about themselves.
I’ve added a digital option for you this year to use on Google Classroom or Seesaw. Check it out!
Find this resource here, or inside the back to school bundle.
Class Meetings
If you can, make time for class meetings to build community. Check out this list of virtual meeting ideas that you can try out with your students.
Let me leave you with this:
Although this is not ideal, WE CAN DO THIS.
You are not alone.
We’ll figure it out together, just like we always do!
