Strategies for Building a Support System in Online and Blended Models

Chapter 4: Apply It to Your Practice

Working individually or in learning teams, reflect on these questions, and implement the commitments to your practice (for more information on engaging with these questions, please see the section titled Space for Reflective Practice on page 9 in the introduction). As always, strive to move your reflection to action.

React to the Chapter

What are your key takeaways from this chapter? What was surprising to read? What did you connect with?

Define Empathy

Jill Clingan asked other educators to define empathy and show how they develop it with their students. Discuss empathy with faculty and staff in your school community. How do they put it into words? Why is it important? How do they show empathy in their daily circles while online or in person?

Employ Empathetic Strategies

Review the strategies for building connection through empathy, the arts, and a positive classroom culture highlighted in this chapter. Which ones do you think you and your community already employ, and which ones would be good focus strategies for the next quarter or semester?

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Amplify Student Stories

As a class activity, ask students to respond to this prompt: “Something that might surprise you to learn about me is. . . .” Some of the answers will make you laugh, and some will break your heart. After engaging in this activity, take your data and reactions back to your team. What did you learn? How will you use these lessons to expand equity, justice, and representation in your school community? Answer this last question with as many specifics and action words as possible. Then, discuss the specific steps you plan to take tomorrow, next week, and next semester to amplify student stories in your teaching practice.

Use Music and Poetry

Practitioners featured in this chapter used poetry and music to explain the power of connection with students. If you were to share a song or poem with students on the first day of school, what would it be and why? How about the last day of school? Invite students into this conversation about the power of poetry and connection. What theme songs might they choose to represent a concept they are working on this school year or in their class community?

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© 2022 by Solution Tree Press

CONNECTED Classrooms

A People-Centered Approach for Online, Blended, and In-Person Learning

The ever-increasing practice of online and blended instruction marks a significant shift in education. In Connected Classrooms: A People-Centered Approach for Online, Blended, and In-Person Learning, Kathryn Fishman-Weaver and Stephanie Walter dive into the opportunities and difficulties that arise in online education spaces. Using their lived experiences in blended classrooms as a launchpad, the authors interview nearly thirty educators of diverse backgrounds to provide excellent anecdotes and data-driven practices and demonstrate how to improve virtual classroom dynamics. This is an exceptional resource for teaching in multicultural and multilingual classrooms, whether they are blended, virtual, or in person. K–12 teachers will: • Gain practical strategies for adopting people-centered practices in the classroom • Read a variety of insightful narratives from educators who are teaching all around the world • Delve into the unique opportunities for connection online education presents • Learn how to honor and better connect with learners from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds • Feel inspired to reimagine the online classroom

SolutionTree.com

“This book brings into focus the heart of all teaching: the need for humans to feel connected. Focusing on this principle allows us as educators to be effective and fulfilled in any learning context. An enjoyable read and a valuable resource.”

—Hannah Valencia

Second-Grade Teacher, Madison Elementary School, Sanger, California

“A must-have guidebook for the modern classroom, this book will help you build deep, meaningful, lasting relationships with your students that will foster student success both in and out of the classroom setting.”

—Naomi Sanders

Fifth-Grade Teacher, Morrilton Intermediate School, Morrilton, Arkansas

“This is the type of book that educators want to read—filled with narratives from boots-on-the-ground teachers. This book’s accessibility, pleasing writing style, and content are superior. Brilliant!”

—Racquel Biem

High School Teacher, Chinook School Division, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada

Visit go.SolutionTree.com/technology to download the free reproducibles in this book.