Back to school season is upon us. With that comes juggling new routines, figuring out where everyone is and most importantly getting to know the students in front of us.
To me, getting to know my students is the most important part of going back to school. I prioritize it over everything else. I strongly believe that relationships matter. We get the most from our students when they know us and we know them.
While relationships matter in August & September, this isn’t something we can forget about once the academic demands increase. We need to keep this in the forefront all year long.
Last year, one way I did this was by incorporating weekly check-ins. Every Monday, instead of another bell ringer or do-now my students filled out my weekly Google Form check-In. I wasn’t sure how my students would feel about them, but they said many times that it was one of their favorite parts of my class. They took them seriously and every week, I learned something new about at least a few students that I wouldn’t have known without the check-in.
I change up the check-in weekly, but each week it includes:
*Emojis to gauge mood/feelings
*A couple fun questions: would you rather, this or that, favorites, choose one etc.
*Reflect about an assignment or how school is going.
*Set a goal for the upcoming week
*A place for them to share something with me if they want.
If you make one change this year, I highly recommend implementing easy check-in’s. You can do it daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly. I find once a week works best for me.
I am linking to a free editable Google Form I have created. Feel free to use this to kick off the new year.
What is your favorite way to check-in with students?
[…] Using Digital Check-ins with Students […]