Connecting with Students Online with Jennifer Serravallo

Welcome back to the Not So Wimpy Teacher podcast!

I have a really special treat for you today. If you are teaching students online, whether it’s virtual or hybrid, this is the episode for you.

Today’s guest, Jennifer Serravallo, is a literacy consultant and speaker and has three New York Times best selling books! Her latest book is called “Connecting with Students Online: Strategies for Remote Teaching and Learning.”

I asked Jen to join me today to talk through the idea of connecting with students online. 

We’re covering everything from how to form relationships with students to having realistic expectations for yourself and your students during a pandemic. 

Episode 94 Takeaways: 

+ When the tech isn’t working, stay calm, and remind yourself that you’re doing what you can.

+ Ask yourself if the things that are challenging you are within your control. 

+ Get your kids working off the screen as much as possible to combat Zoom fatigue. 

+ The more we can get kids off the screen, the more engaged they'll be.

+ It is possible to build relationships even though you’ve never met your students in person. 

+ Use breakout rooms to give students individual feedback.

+ Minimize the time you're spending on whole group lessons, and maximize your time with small group lessons. 

+ Make sure that the students in small groups belong together. 

+ Give yourself and your students grace.

I really hope that this episode gives you a little bit of hope. Teaching is going to look a little different right now, but you have amazing teaching strategies in your tool belt, and you can take so many of them into a virtual classroom with just a  few small tweaks!

I’d love to know what other ideas you come up with, so head over to our Instagram @notsowimpyteacher to share those with me! 

Resources Mentioned: 

www.jenniferserravallo.com 

Join The Reading and Writing Strategies Community Facebook Group 

Follow @JSerravallo on Twitter 

Follow @jenniferserravallo on Instagram 

Want more Not So Wimpy Teacher tips and tricks? Find tons of resources on our website at www.notsowimpyteacher.com and follow me on Instagram @notsowimpyteacher where I share daily!