Message to Teachers During COVID-19: Keep the Conversations Going...

With students, schools and families facing the real prospect that they will finish the school year at home, districts are scrambling to achieve some semblance of normal before the year is out. Everyone knows that learning requires structure and routine like anything else. Without these things, student concentration is sure to falter as they try to memorize state capitols, write essays and solve complicated mathematics problems.

The elephant in the room...

The elephant in the room of course is an acknowledgement by all that there are some things more important than school at times like these. The social emotional health of students is now just as, if not more, important than academic learning during the pandemic and systems of support usually present at school are scrambling to make connections with families remotely to address understandable feelings of isolation and trauma because of COVID-19.

The good news is that, like anything else, new challenges can bring new opportunities for learning. Consider the familiar classroom conversation. Ask any student and they'll tell you that what they remember and appreciate most about great teachers and great classes are the discussions they have and the chances they get to have a voice in a conversation about something they are interested in.

Classroom dynamics that stymie participation from shier, more reflective students are gone.

Great conversations are like steroids for social emotional learning. Students naturally want to empathize, listen, manage their emotions and speak up when teachers are able to create a culture of trust and engagement. Some conversations are so interesting that everyone becomes part of a learning community and doesn't even know it. They do it because they don't want to miss out on the next great idea.

How do we keep conversations going in a remote setting, where all students have is a computer, electronic faces, discussion prompts and the opportunity to type their own thoughts? It is here where new opportunities may lie. The familiar classroom dynamics that stymie participation from shier, more reflective students are gone. The tools to manage a disruptive force in the classroom are one click away. The environment for students to be honest and tell a real story that they want everyone to hear is more possible.

With all of the challenges that COVID-19 presents, the chance for students and teachers to get into real conversations that can offer new insights on the world and bring social emotional learning to a new level has never been more real than now. It's up to teachers to step up and keep the conversation going.