Teaching our nation’s youth is a tall order at any given moment. We understand that the pressure on teachers to keep students engaged is especially high now. Here are a couple of ideas for your classroom whether your school is in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
In-Person
- Whole-class Discussions – Connection is important now more than ever. When kids have an opportunity to connect, share their ideas, and hear new ones, they can feel significantly more invested in the class. A socially-distanced Socratic discussion is a great way to achieve this.
- Mini Whiteboards – Create a quiz-type game where students must answer the question as quickly as possible to get points. By writing their answers on whiteboards, you eliminate their need to yell, limiting the spread of germs.
- Snowballs – Write a prompt on the first line of a paper, crumple it into a snowball and toss it to the first student. Each student will write a line of the story and then throw it to another student. Soon, you will have a fully written story that you can read back to the class.
- Paper Cup Telephones – Find two cups, a long piece of string, and two paper clips. Poke a hole in the bottom of each cup. Feed the ends of the string through each cup, securing the string by tying the paperclip inside. Lastly, have each student choose a partner across the room to communicate with.
- Collaborative Story Project – Similar to the snowball project, a collaborative story project can take many forms but promises to be engaging for everyone involved. One idea is to speak one-by-one, each student adding one word to the story. When you have reached an organic ending, read the story aloud to the class.
Virtual
- Zoom Guest Speakers – As many professionals are currently working from home, this is a prime time for your class to interact with an expert about class material. Make sure you have a Q&A after the presentation where students can interact and ask any questions they have for the speaker.
- Virtual Field Trips – Get creative with your virtual trip planning! Is there a specific location or experience that is relative to your course material? Explore the concept together through resources like Google Maps, music, books, movies, and crafts.
- YouTube Videos – One very effective option for keeping your class engaged is switching up the types of media they are interacting with. Try including an educational YouTube video and host a virtual conversation afterward. The possibilities are endless.
- Kahoot – No matter what subject you teach, Kahoot provides a great resource to test your students and create a fun competition in a virtual group setting. Once you have designed the quiz, send the quiz link to your class and let the fun begin.
- Virtual Games – A fun way to switch up your online class is to play a quick virtual game. Many virtual game options are quick to set up, easy to join and provide full controls for the game initiator. There are lots of great options on the web such as virtual Pictionary, math games, and many more.
For more ideas about safety and security strategy in your school, Contact Us today on our website or call 1-800-211-8848 for your free consultation.
*Information for this article was gathered from Cambridge University Press.
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