Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1278320
B E I N G R E S P O N S I V E to our students' social- emotional needs has been very challenging during distance learning. Building relationships is embedded in how our teachers approach all aspects of our craft, but in this void it became glaringly clear that we would struggle to fully support our kids. It was and remains painful to acknowledge that. School staff is adept at reading body language and listening for clues even in a short exchange, let alone what we learn through more extended in-person exchanges. Distance learn- ing doesn't allow for this insight. Additionally, the consistent structure that school provides is ground- ing for many. During distance learning or a hybrid model, some of the same structures can still play: consistent synchro- nous lessons, office hours and academic expectations, to name a few. Checking in directly with students via text, email or phone to let kids know that you care and are still there. Asking open- ended questions to allow them time to talk about how they 're maneuvering through this. Open-ended questions on assignments can also work. When posting assignments, it's critical to include that you miss them, care about them, and are there if they need anything — you can't do this too much. Providing students with resources and lessons around self-care and advocating for themselves and family and friends is key. For kids who were receiving services, we tried to keep counseling and groups going virtually; for those who weren't comfortable with this format, it's important to [remind them] that support is still available. In the end, it's brutally hard, knowing that it's not as easy to provide support. So, we rethink, retool and find new ways. M E E T I N G S T U D E N T S ' S O C IA L- E M O T I O NA L N E E D S BARRY ROTH San Juan Teachers Association Encina Preparatory 6-12 High School "When posting assignments, it's critical to include that you miss them, care about them, and are there if they need anything – you can't do this too much." Barry Roth F O R D I S T A N C E L E A R N I N G in spring of 2020, I taught fifth grade. My primary goal was to make it as "normal" as possible, so I planned activities similar to how we did things in the classroom. I met with my students on Microsoft Teams twice daily; however, some of my students had technology limitations and time restrictions, so I also recorded and uploaded videos for students to access at their convenience. I was also available to students throughout the day to meet on Teams if they needed more support. For daily spiral review, I used Daily Math Practice, Grade 5 from Evan-Moor Corp. I scanned each week's packet into Teams and OneNote on Sunday nights. Students would put their responses into OneNote each day, and I would upload a key, record a solutions video, and provide feedback to their responses daily. I also utilized the online program i-Ready, which provides standards-based video lessons and activ- ities. The students had to be on for at least 20 minutes a day to work on their "My Path" (lessons planned for them based on their midyear assessment) and teacher-assigned lessons based on grade-level standards. Other online programs I had available to the students if they wanted were ST Math and Prodigy. To have a little fun during this difficult time, I also incorporated some math brain teasers. We always did these live together, and the students really enjoyed them. Tiffany Scott L O T S O F R E S O U R C E S F O R MAT H , B U T D O N ' T F O R G E T F U N TIFFANY SCOTT Chula Vista Educators Rogers Elementary School "To have a little fun during this difficult time, I incorporated math brain teasers. We always did these live together, and the students really enjoyed them." 19 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0