With the start of the school year upon us, the anxiety and health concerns for students, their families, and teachers are all too real.

Discussions about mask mandates, testing, and vaccinations will continue across the state, but here are four essential strategies that can ease the return to in-person learning.

  1. Community builders and check-ins are a must! Having a check-in and a community builder, or icebreaker, exercise before each lesson helped me strengthen relationships during distance learning.
  2. Reduce the number of assignments and provide detailed and meaningful feedback. The pandemic amplified existing trauma and poverty for many students. A lot of students do not have access to a stable internet connection and have multiple siblings at home participating in remote learning.
  3. Remember: Follow-up is extremely important. Whenever my students or I experience a challenging time, I use that moment to connect with them further.
  4. Communicate effectively and efficiently: Many teachers use their district’s grading system — usually Google Classroom or Schoology — to communicate with students. While these are important and efficient (yes, these systems are “down” from time to time), I often wonder, are these effective?

Incorporating these four essentials into one’s teaching practice will ensure that teachers connect with students and students are successful. The goal is to support students by centering them and prioritizing their learning, and these essentials do just that.

Read the full article about supporting students during in-person learning by Keara Williams at EdSource.