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Virtual Culture Building Routines
- Use theme day questions – Have a different theme for each day of the week. Ask “would you rather” wuestions on Wednesdays or for song suggestions on “Music Monday”.
- Consistency in Assignments – Routines and consistency help build a positive classroom culture. Keep due dates for assignments the same each week (i.e. discussions due Thursday)
- Digital Organization – Help students set up digital folders at the beginning of the year to store classwork. Encourage students to use checklists and digital sticky notes for tasks and due dates.
- Social Emotional Learning – Start live lessons with questions about student’s current state of mind. Ask them to share an item in their home that makes them smile.
- Offer Choices to Students – Foster student independence by offering students choice. Let them choose their groups for discussions or a creative medium for projects.
- Help students set goals – Provide opportunities for students to set goals and reflect on them each week, month, or unit. Students can encourage their classmates through digital discussion!
- Open Communication – Use tools like a class website, Padlet, Jamboard, Canvas discussions, and Google Hangout/Canvas Chat for open communication between students.
- Share your Personality – Digital tools can help you showcase your personality in your online classroom. Create a Bitmoji classroom, share old photos, or record silly videos for students.
- “One Stop Shop” for Resources – Give students and families a consistent place to check for resources. Use a class site, a hyperlinked document, or an interactive classroom for your course homepage.