One of the key ways I connect with my students is through text. I know that many teacher leaders would not feel comfortable texting their students. Texting students evolved as my role changed from classroom teacher to Independent Studies program manager, and now a literacy support coach for students. It simply is a more direct and effective way to support students and their families. There are some specific parameters and guidelines I adhere to.
- My school knows I am in contact with my students and families. I have established a work google number, where all our conversations are documented and my personal number is protected.
- Our school also uses the Ap Remind for an additional way to contact students. Students must log in to that program to receive the information.
- Parents know that I have student contact, and are aware that all conversations are documented to keep a professional environment at all times. The feed remains professional, and any party may review the feed.
We live and teach in a digital environment right now that demands creative ways to build and maintain connections with students and families. Students who I am supporting in class many times do not check their school email, and so a direct text to remind them about class assignments and to check in on their well-being and offer support is critical to maintaining the social-emotional support our students need in addition to academic support to help students maintain the progress necessary to complete their courses.
I have discovered over the past few months the power of memes and images in a text to build connections with students. Daily I send messages to students inviting them to our tutorial support sessions on Zoom. The schedule rarely changes, but the personal invitation is a reminder to students that they matter, we miss them, and we care enough to contact them.
Snoopy is my signature mark with students. They know that I grew up with those characters and they are part of my personal history. When I share a Snoopy they immediately identify it is a message from Dr. Ilko. Here are some samples of this past week’s feed.
Sometimes the simplest things can make a big impact. I send these to about 30 students a day. Many times I don’t get a response, but often they come into our optional sessions because I continue to reach out. There are students that have a continual feed on their phone with no response, and I wonder if I am getting through. Last night was a reminder from a student that consistency matters. I hadn’t heard from her in over a week. I knew the school was reaching out in a variety of ways, so my little feed was just another part of our contact process. This note from her reminded me once again that we don’t know what is happening beyond our school walls.
So my message to you is this my fellow educators, keep at it. Keep connecting. Do what it takes to make students know you care about them. Be silly, be consistent, be tenacious. I keep hearing how we are losing these students during the pandemic, that this is a lost year. I don’t believe that, not for a minute. It is challenging, it is different, but we are not lost. We can find the connections, the humanity, and the support to get through this together. Take care.