15 Creative Ideas to Build Community in Your Online Classroom
In this sudden frenzy of the distance learning world, I have seen the internet overflow with incredible ideas for teaching students all kinds of content. I have learned about amazing new tech tools that facilitate engagement and personalized learning. I have received newsletter after newsletter with high-quality free content from educators and business owners designed to make the transition to distance learning easier. I love it all, and I’m implementing so much of it. But in organizing my online classroom and curating the materials and activities I would use for our first official week back to “school,” I found that something was missing.
My lesson plans were missing opportunities to emotionally nurture my students. Now, admittedly, this is no small task when you’re teaching from a screen, but I felt determined to create some kind of community--beyond written check-ins--that would foster joy and exploration in my students. I wanted to find a way for students to step away from technology, enjoy life (even in its current state), and connect with their families, each other, and me.
So, I decided to come up with a daily challenge for students. Each day, I will post a link to a Padlet or Flipgrid that will prompt students to take part in a mini activity and post a picture or reflection of their results. I’m already smiling at the entries coming in.
Below you will find 15 days of suggested daily challenges that you can assign your students.
Day 1: Take and post a picture of you wearing your favorite socks or slippers.
Day 2: On a sticky note or small piece of paper, draw a small rainbow, write an encouraging message underneath, and post it somewhere in your home for a family member to find. Take a picture of it and share it here. Let’s spread some joy!
Day 3: Ask someone at home to do ten jumping jacks with you. If they resist, tell them it’s a graded school assignment! Then, post about who you did the jumping jacks with and what their reaction was to the task.
Day 4: List three things you’re grateful for and explain why. Read the responses of others and see if you can, in your head, expand your list to five, or even ten things you’re happy about. Even though we are in a difficult time, there is still so much good in our lives.
Day 5: Choose fifteen small items in your home (think: pens, highlighters, paper clips, hair ties, socks, keychains, etc.) and organize them into piles based on color. Snap a picture and share! Ok, now, put them all back before your parents get mad :).
Day 6: Search the internet for a funny (and appropriate) pun or joke and post it here. If you’d like, draw a cartoon to accompany the joke. Let’s make each other laugh!
Day 7: Interview someone in your home. (And if they’re resistant, remind them that this is a school assignment :) ). Ask them the following questions:
How are you feeling today?
What are you most proud of in your life?
What do you hope to accomplish one day?
What are you most grateful for right now?
What is your favorite color?
Which do you prefer: sweet or salty snacks?
After the interview, tell us who you interviewed and share one response (that is not too personal) from the interview. Write the response in a complete sentence!
Day 8: Complete an online puzzle HERE and post a picture of the finished product! (The puzzle you choose must be more than 20 pieces).
Day 9: Make a paper airplane (or a few) using THESE instructions. Then, fly your best plane, measure how far it goes, and post a picture of the plane and the distance it flew. (If you don’t have a ruler handy at home, download the Ruler app on your phone).
Day 10: Make a healthy snack and share a picture of it or tell us what it is! Then, eat up!
Day 11: Have a tic-tac-toe war (best of 5 games) with someone at home. Tell us who won and share a picture with the evidence.
Day 12: Google the phrase “Inspirational Quotes” and choose one from your search that is meaningful or inspiring to you. Post it for everyone to see, and when you need a little pick-me-up, come back to this post!
Day 13: Using only tape and a piece of paper, make a 3D box. Upload a picture of the finished product.
Day 14: Find at least one moment today to help someone at home. Then, describe what you did in at least one complete sentence.
Day 15: Leaning Tower of Footsa! Without using any supports, make the tallest tower possible out of shoes. Snap a picture of your tower to show off your skills.
My goal for these challenges is to provide equitable and entertaining ways to spice up my students’ day. Learning content is important, but frankly, I’m more concerned with these questions: Are my students finding joy? Are they interacting with their loved ones? Are they helping? Are they moving? Are they playing? The answers to these questions have, and always will be, my priority as an educator. Anyone else agree?
Let me know if you try any of these challenges with your students! I’d love to connect on Instagram.
Stay well,
♥ Kara & Riley
