Three Wins In Distance Learning

Over the past month, teachers across the world have bonded together and busted their humps in order to make distance learning work for students, parents, and themselves! I have been very lucky to have a great team of business educators to share and collaborate with through this challenging time. The term "building the plane in the air" has been thrown around a lot these past weeks by our district leaders as we all figured out how to make this new learning world happen for learners and families. This week, after a month of preparation, I finally feel like the plane is flying in the air without a lot of turbulence.

It certainly is not the same teaching behind a computer. We as educators miss the daily face to face interactions with our students. They give us energy, life, joy, and pride! Though we have had to adapt and adjust, educators continue to find ways to connect with students and provide meaningful learning opportunities during this challenging time. 

I've seen a lot of really amazing things over the past month that educators are doing for students and families to make this as smooth of a learning process as possible. I wanted to share three wins & things that have been working in my small world in regards to distance learning. 

1. Each week, our business team has been providing a "Weekly Google Form Check-In" for students to complete. SEE EXAMPLE HERE. We set them up as a "completion quiz" and ask a few questions ranging from what the kids think we are doing at home, trivia, their thoughts on this weeks topic, and if they have any needs/questions for us. The best part is we can respond to each question if we choose to and send feedback via email. It has been a great tool to have some fun while getting students thoughts and checking in on them. 

2. Google Classroom Topics have been terrific for organizing resources and work for students each week. Students appreciate the organized layout and due dates that have been set to keep them on task. See example below.

3. As we settle into this new norm of working, planning, instructing, and grading from home, creating a weekly schedule has been key for our team and myself.  The constant flow of work being turned in, emails, meetings, and preparing content/lessons for next week is daunting. Having a schedule and to-do list for each day as helped greatly. 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE 

Please share what has been working for you or going well during distance learning. It is a new location on the map for many of us we will grow through it together! Take care and be well! 

Planning for Growth & Gratitude During Coronavirus

Since March of 2020 in the United States, many lives and routines have been flipped upside down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our new normal is anything but normal. People have been getting sick with the virus as it spreads across our country and world, businesses have been shutting down with people losing jobs, kids are missing out on sports seasons and friendships, and parents are now having to confront the reality that schools and daycares are closed until who knows when. Parents who are still lucky enough to be working from the safety of their homes are also having to figure out how to be a full time online productive worker while serving as teacher to their kids at home!

Now, maybe more than ever is a time for self-reflection, growth, and to focus on what is really important in life. As William Ernest said in his poem Invictus, "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." OWN each day and use this time of uncertainty to grow in various areas. The inches we do consistently well each day add up to the miles later in life! Don't expect things to happen or change without a PLAN! 

On Sundays, I take 30 minutes to plan out my week in my journal reflecting on how I want to grow, lead, focus on gratitude, and reflect on what I need to accomplish. There are a lot of different approaches to doing this from other experts but this is what works for me and I wanted to share it with you. If you like it, GREAT, DOWNLOAD THE FREE WEEKLY PLANNING FORM and use it as you see fit. If not, I still encourage you to find ways to grow and reflect during this challenging time.

If you do use the planner, let me know in the comments how it went for you after the first week. Together, we are stronger for those we serve. Stay positive and remember that each day "we have the POWER to control our attitudes, effort, and actions!" - Jon Gordon 

WEEKLY PLANNER FOR GROWTH & GRATITUDE (GOOGLE FORM)

Directions: 

1. Open the weekly planner link and MAKE A COPY of the Google Doc.
2. Set the date for the week you want to complete it for. 
3. It is broken down into three sections:
• What things am I doing to grow and change this week? 
• What am I looking forward to this week and grateful for?
• What do I need to accomplish this week? 
4. See my examples to get you started. Delete and make your own
5. At the end of the week, reflect on your growth and positives. Also, note anything that you learned or want to change for next week. 
6. REPEAT and have fun!