Recently I heard from Dr. Charles Youngs, an English department chair inPennsylvania. His school provided the chance for us to work together last August. Charles wrote to me about how he’s grappling with the challenge of creating moments of genuine connection (MGCs) amidst the odd conditions of Phase 1‘s emergency remote teaching and learning. Charles […]
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What Do Moments of Genuine Connection Look Like Amidst Emergency Remote Teaching?
Recently, Aubrey Sherman from Léman Manhattan Preparatory School wrote in with this excellent question: Hi Dave! I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts, successes and challenges with distance learning. What do moments of genuine connection look like for you these days? I’ve been thinking a lot about connection recently (as I know we all are) […]
Moments of Genuine Connection Are Awkward Sometimes
Educators around the world have taken up a simple, high-leverage habit: moments of genuine connection. Armed with clipboards and simple class rosters, these folks try to engage each of their students in 30-90 second interactions. The goal is simple: communicate to the child that they are valued, known, and respected. “Rubi, it’s good to see […]
Moments of Genuine Connection: A Piece of Paper, a Clipboard, and a Goal
Neat Update, Fall 2020: This strategy has been featured at Cult of Pedagogy! You can find it here. When we intentionally track moments of genuine connection with students, starting with the first day of school, a few important things happen: We connect with every kid. Using a clipboard and a single sheet of paper with all 120 or so […]
A Simple Technique for Affecting Belonging, One Genuine Connection at a Time
It’s common enough to see a really well-meaning teacher whose chief goal is to create a classroom where kids feel welcome, included, enjoyed, and honored, but to forget that this is only half the battle. Yes, we need kids to all identify with school, to identify with our class culture, to feel that who we’re asking […]