Every teacher knows that one of the busiest weeks of the school year is the week of parent-teacher conferences. These meetings of the minds are vital in establishing open communication between the teacher and a student’s home. In many cases, the fall conferences may be the first time a teacher meets parents and guardians, providing a dedicated time slot for them to get to know each other beyond a quick wave at the classroom door.

Parent-teacher communication, also referred to as home-to-school communication, is instrumental in helping each student be the most engaged, successful, supported, and accountable they can be! Many teachers use a variety of methods to connect with homes—from daily behavior charts, informal notes, and weekly newsletters, to classroom websites, progress reports, and detailed report cards. Today’s technology, with LMS platforms and student information systems, also helps bridge the communication gap by providing seamless messaging options as well as insights into real-time student data (attendance, test scores, etc.). Yet nothing really beats the benefits of face-to-face time to discuss how best to champion a child.

Parent-teacher conferences are usually held once in the fall and once in the spring. These meetings help teachers build positive relationships with parents and guardians. That sense of familiarity and trust is key because kids spend over 1,000 hours a year in school (180 days x 6 hours per day). Teachers are often thought of as one of the most influential factors in a child’s life, especially when it comes to academic achievement.

The students’ beliefs about themselves as learners are shaped by the teacher’s communication of expectations for students, so that when the teacher conveys a belief that the student can succeed at school, the student believes it too and acts accordingly.

(Johnston & Shand, 2021)

Maximize your tech tools: Nearpod

When you begin to look ahead and plan for your parent-teacher conferences, consider which materials and tools might help illustrate your points best. Nearpod provides real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons, interactive videos, gamification, and activities. Thus, Nearpod can aid your conversation through the individual Student Reports, which provide insight into patterns and trends around participation and progress in any of Nearpod’s nine formative assessment activities. With an authentic student portfolio or a handful of student work samples, you can begin to provide concrete examples of a student’s strengths and/or weaknesses and provide personalized recommendations for actionable next steps. Here are some other tips to make the most of your time with family members.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

6 Best practices for parent-teacher conference communication

1. Start with small talk

Time is precious, but dedicate about 20% of your time together to getting to know each other better. Prepare some ready-made questions to facilitate this:

• How long have you lived in the area?
• How many kids do you have?
• Where did you grow up and go to school?

Similarly, share a bit about yourself to help establish open communication. You may have started off the school year with a brief student questionnaire or a school climate survey; follow up on an answer to show how invested you are in getting to know the child and their family. Family attitudes and beliefs often influence a child, so use your inquiry skills to learn more about your student’s background and home environment during this conference for effective parent-teacher communication.

Nearpod has a perfect lesson that many teachers use with students at the beginning of the year to help develop a strong student-teacher relationship and foundation.

• Grades K-2 All About Me: In this life skills Draw It template, students can use a graphic organizer to share information about themselves.
• Grades 4-12 Find Something: All About You: In this Collaborate Board activity, students share pictures, videos, or gifs to answer their chosen topic. Then, students “like” and comment on other posts.

When exploring how to communicate with parents as a teacher, consider those questions and prompts for yourself, as a way to share a bit about yourself with families. Many teachers use Nearpod to create a few slides to share at Back-to-School Night that help underscore their personal and professional passions.

2. Let the family ask questions first

You aren’t the only one who feels the pressure of parent-teacher communication at conferences! Many parents “stress” over conferences, not knowing what a teacher might share about their child. Ease their anxiety by asking what their questions are first; this will help foster a positive setting for open communication. Their parent-teacher conference questions may raise a concern or identify an issue that is top of mind  It is good to let them share their thoughts and experiences, allowing you to redirect the conversation as needed. Whether their worries are big or small, their answers will give you insight into how they are approaching the conversation. Conversely, it may prompt you to share your observations from the school year so far. Too often, conferences run out of time, and the last thing you want is to miss giving parents and caregivers a chance to share their thoughts.

3. Have a cheat sheet

Winston Churchill once said, “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.” Gather and compile notes and student artifacts that will help you convey how a child is doing not only academically, but also socially and emotionally. With every “negative,” try to bolster it with a positive. While we teachers don’t want to sugarcoat what a child needs to work on, we do want to make sure to invite parents in to be of help, versus inadvertently putting them on the defensive. Finding this balance is essential for effective parent-teacher communication.

With Nearpod, you can give the families some concrete next steps on how best to support their child at home. Maybe a child could benefit from revisiting a lesson on decoding or spending some time practicing how to collaborate and cooperate.

Nearpod makes it easy to share a Student-Paced Lesson with a simple code. Consider trying out one of these activities: 

• Grades 3-5 Decoding Words: Consonant Blends: In this English Language Arts (ELA) Drag & Drop activity, students will sort pictures by their consonant digraph.
• Grades K-2 Let’s Work Together: In this social emotional learning (SEL) lesson, students practice relationship skills by examining teamwork responsibilities. Students will receive explicit instruction on SEL skills and authentic group practice opportunities.

*This activity is only available to educators with access to Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program, which has over 400 lessons, videos, and activities to integrate SEL practices into daily learning.

4. Focus on goals

Remember, goals can be short-term and long-term. By asking the parents and caregivers about their goals and by sharing yours, you’ll gather insight into the family’s priorities for their child. You can make sure you are all on the same page while discussing ways to support reaching these milestones—often, a parent is at a loss about where to turn when it comes to resources and experts, so you can share how to take a whole community approach to encouraging children to be their personal best.

During parent-teacher conferences, you want to model a growth mindset and proactively talk about realistic as well as stretch goals. One effective way to do this is by using student reports to gather and present data on how students are progressing toward these goals. Share these reports to illustrate strengths and areas for growth, encouraging parents to provide their insights from home. This collaborative approach ensures comprehensive understanding and alignment in supporting the student’s development, making data-driven decisions, and setting actionable goals that cater to both academic and personal growth.

In the Nearpod library of 22,000+ standards-aligned lessons, videos, and activities, you can find lessons that support lifelong skills such as setting goals, building persistence, and developing healthy habits. Showcase the types of content and active learning strategies that you use in the classroom by sharing some instructional resources that students and families can explore together at home.

5. Highlight the student’s voice

It’s all well and good to talk as adults about how we want our kids to flourish, but make sure to involve your students as stakeholders in their own success. Encourage students to start taking accountability for their own learning and achievements. By doing so, they become more engaged and invested in their educational journey. Before your conference, find a way for your students to express their hopes and goals for the upcoming school year. Ask kids to write themselves a letter or draw a motivational poster. They could bring in artifacts to represent their goals, which you can photograph for an end-of-year time capsule. However, you capture their thoughts and share them during or at the end of the conference to spark meaningful conversations at home as well.

Consider the ways students can create their own Nearpod presentations as authentic portfolios showcasing the work they are proud of. Nearpod’s suite of flexible features allows students to capture their ideas in various ways: drawings and images with Draw It, brainstorming with Collaborate Boards, and text or audio with Open-Ended Questions. With Nearpod’s new live teacher-to-student feedback feature, teachers can provide in-the-moment support to boost student engagement and achievement.

Nearpod also has ready-to-teach lessons and activities such as grades K-5 *I Can Grow and 6-12 *Grow and Glow. Invite your students to join the parent-teacher communication experience and engage in the conversation about how they can continue to challenge themselves and reflect on their successes throughout the year.

*This activity is only available to educators with access to Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program.

6. Open your classroom door in other ways

While parent-teacher conferences are instrumental, they are just two moments in time during the school year when it comes to home-to-school communication. As a school, consider the ways that you can invite family members to be part of the overall school community, which can further support parent communication for teachers. In doing so, you will have a stronger school climate, and parents will feel more involved in their child’s day-to-day schooling.

You may want to establish a classroom volunteer program, where family members can act as classroom aides. You may want to host other events such as Back-to-School Night or an open house so that families can learn more about the grade’s curriculum or applaud student work. Invite families to come to all-school assemblies or participate in holiday celebrations or fun field days. Even a quick visit to campus can help parents feel that they are a part of the school’s fabric.

You and your school administrators can leverage Nearpod by creating presentations and surveys to showcase school events (you can even convert existing presentations into a Nearpod interactive format). You can share these presentations with students’ homes as weekly newsletters via the Student-Paced Mode; parents can refer back to past newsletters for important details. Even for adults, the multimedia format promises more engagement, whether when sharing a video or sharing a data-rich graph. You can ask for feedback or gather information via a Poll, Collaborate Board, Open-Ended Questions, or even a Draw It response. Nearpod makes it easier and more efficient to reach families on an ongoing basis.

Start using these ideas for your upcoming parent-teacher conferences

Although parent-teacher conferences are two key moments during the school year, it’s important to think about ways to stay in constant communication week over week with families. With today’s 24/7 access, the channels of communication can get overwhelming for all parties. So, try to get a sense of your families’ preferred mode of communication and familiarize them with how you share on a regular basis. Remember that not everyone is tethered to a digital device or has strong wi-fi access all the time. A simple handwritten sticky note with a headline of personalized praise can go a long way when it comes to bolstering parent–teacher relationships and students’ self-confidence!

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 6 Best practices for parent-teacher conference communication appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Why do some students lack motivation?

Students may lack motivation due to various factors such as external hardships in their home life, a disconnect between learning and real-world applications, disinterest in the subject matter, potential undiagnosed learning challenges, and the developmental stage affecting their ability to foresee the consequences of disengagement.

Perhaps there are extenuating circumstances in their home, whether it be familial strife or lack of food, that can cause them to lack presence and connection to the classroom or instruction. Too often, we’re unaware of the many layers of a child’s life and the stressors they encounter daily. Lack of motivation can come from not understanding the real-world applicability of skills. Students need to learn the skills alongside the use cases – and that use case can’t just be for a test this coming Friday. Perhaps a student lacks motivation because the subject just doesn’t interest them.

Passion is a critical driver in learning, so many teachers aim to help students make personal connections so that the content sparks interest. Or, a child may be facing an undiagnosed learning disability that is constantly keeping them from feeling successful. Furthermore, developmentally, younger students live more in the moment. They don’t fully comprehend the longer-term ramifications if they don’t engage, since their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed – meaning they may lack the foresight for reasoning, judgment, and planning.

What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the classroom?

In the classroom, teachers strive to personalize and individualize lessons to reach every child, and the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is crucial. There are two types of motivation: Intrinsic motivation originates from within, driven by personal satisfaction, leading to increased persistence and enjoyment; extrinsic motivation relies on external rewards or pressures.

Intrinsic motivation speaks internally. In an ideal world, all motivation would be intrinsic. One’s drive and sense of purpose toward accomplishing a task or goal is done for one’s own satisfaction. Research shows that intrinsic motivation can lead to more persistence and more enjoyment. In a classroom, intrinsic motivation can be seen when a child chooses a title on their own because they want to dive into a book or when they keep their head down to solve a problem because they’re up for the challenge. A child who is intrinsically motivated tends to be more attentive, more participatory, and more engaged, and thus can perform better and realize higher achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

When there is a carrot at the end of a stick or a brass ring, so to speak, the motivation becomes extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation comes from the desire for a reward or to avoid negative consequences. So, if a child is trying to earn a goodie from the prize box or please a parent with a good grade, that drive isn’t from within. Now, extrinsic motivation does have its place in the classroom: There are good forms of it when it can provide feedback, encouragement for something outside one’s comfort zone, or reinforcement for completing a task well. Grades are a form of extrinsic motivation, and most teachers use them to applaud students’ work or frame how they can do better. How they do or do not internalize such feedback is up to the students. Often, it can be helpful to look at the Motivation Matrix (internal-positive; external-positive; internal-negative; external-negative). While all the quadrants can lead to change, only internal-positive motivators tend to be associated with personal happiness.

How teachers can boost student motivation for academic excellence

According to Dr. Anders Ericsson, motivation is the most significant predictor of success. Those with motivation can make and manage change, prepare, take action, and persevere toward goals. There are several ways teachers can help encourage student motivation throughout the school year, day in and day out.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Interactive technology tools like Nearpod can support educators in boosting student motivation.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access the lessons in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

1. Spark their interest

At the beginning of each school year, take the time through surveys, interviews, and good old conversations to get to know each child. What do they like? What do they shy away from? Use the trick of asking five “whys” to drill down to the root cause of a child’s nascent opinion. Then, lead them to high-interest content to help them dive deeper into a topic or broaden their horizons on another. Such motivational activities for students can yield great results.

Nearpod offers a robust library of standards-aligned content, and you can let students pick their own paths and take an active learning approach when it comes to exploring subjects and working through levels of proficiency.

Additionally, Nearpod gives you the option to integrate high-interest multimedia content, catering to students’ diverse passions and backgrounds. Incorporate dynamic media such as Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips and Interactive Videos into their lessons. Teachers can tap into students’ interests and connect classroom content to their real-world experiences. This not only captivates their attention but also fosters a deeper connection to the subject matter, ultimately fueling their motivation for academic success.

2. Let them drive

Another way to motivate students in the classroom is to empower them with a sense of agency through student voice and have them make choices based on their own personal interests. Research-based evidence from Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan in the 1970s and 1980s put motivation on a continuum. The self-development theory (SDT) ranges from amotivation, the lack of any motivation to engage students in tasks or activities, through layers of extrinsic motivation, to intrinsic motivation. Their early work highlighted the need for individuals to feel self-determined, self-directed, and autonomous, and to have a sense of control over their lives and destiny.

Curiosity is the engine of achievement.

Sir Ken Robinson

Nearpod supports student choice and voice through interactive features like Collaborate Boards and Open-Ended Questions, enabling students to share their perspectives, collaborate with peers, and engage in meaningful discussions. This fosters a sense of ownership and autonomy in their learning journey, as they can contribute their unique insights and learn from others.

By providing a platform for student voice and choice, Nearpod helps create a student-centered learning environment that values their opinions, promotes active engagement, and encourages student ownership in their learning experiences.

3. Encourage the “pleasantly frustrating” paths

Professor James Paul Gee has written seminal research on learning and video games. He’s known as the godfather of game-based learning (GBL). He touts several good “learning principles” that video game design has exemplified in terms of hooking and incentivizing students. By challenging kids with levels of achievement, you can help motivate students to find an inner drive to keep moving ahead, one step at a time.

Check out Nearpod’s educational game Time to Climb for student motivation by having them push themselves a bit more under gamified conditions. Digital platforms like Nearpod allow for in-the-moment interactivity that is designed to push the child to try and try again.

Nearpod’s Time to Climb and other educational games contribute significantly to the promotion of active learning and student motivation. The competitive element, sense of achievement, and enjoyable experience provided by these games enhance student engagement and encourage active participation in the process of learning the material.

For example, in a science class, a teacher can use Time to Climb to reinforce concepts related to the water cycle. The game can present questions with visuals and scenarios related to the topic, challenging students to apply their knowledge. Students can compete against their peers to climb the leaderboard by answering correctly and quickly. This not only encourages active participation but also creates a sense of achievement and enjoyment as students progress through the game.

4. Show the long-tail effect

Developmentally, many students struggle to think about the long-term future. Jim Taylor, Ph.D., writes that motivation to change often begins with the 3 D’s: direction, decisions, and dedication. So, teachers often become masterful storytellers who weave tales of the real world, future careers, and passions to encourage student motivation. They showcase subjects like math outside of drill-and-kill worksheets and word problems by sharing everyday practices or career-advancing (and enhancing) skill sets that rely on math proficiency. Students need to understand that they are not learning for learning’s sake alone; they are learning to whet their appetite to expand and hone their skills.

Learning isn’t confined to specific subjects; it’s about acquiring a toolkit of skills that empower individuals to analyze problems, make informed decisions, iterate on ideas, and share their insights effectively. By integrating crucial skills known as the 5Cs – critical thinking, computational thinking, collaboration, creativity, and effective communication – educators can show students the real-world relevance of their studies in their lessons. Nearpod’s interactive platform allows teachers to seamlessly weave these essential skills into their lessons, illustrating their long-term value in preparing students for success in any field they choose to pursue.

5. Provide feedback

Everyone likes a gold star once in a while. Extrinsic motivation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as it’s not excessive to the point of having an overjustification effect, where the extrinsic cancels out any intrinsic motivation. Consider ways to give feedback that builds their confidence, encourages them to reach just a bit higher, and rewards them for taking chances. Remember that asking questions and modeling active listening is a way to provide authentic feedback.

Nearpod’s formative assessment tools provide you with real-time data on student responses so that you can plan your instruction not only for the whole group but for individuals as needed, just in time. The best feedback is given immediately.

The true power of feedback lies in its immediacy – addressing questions and misconceptions while they are fresh in students’ minds. Nearpod’s feedback features, such as stickers and writing options for teachers in Draw It and Drag & Drop learning activities, enable educators to respond instantly to each student, tailoring guidance to their specific needs and ensuring that the learning experience remains personalized. By harnessing Nearpod’s capabilities for real-time feedback, teachers can motivate students to thrive and excel academically, creating a supportive learning environment.

6. Talk about procrastination

Procrastination for many is not merely a time management issue, postponing a more important task in favor of a less important one. Often, procrastination is an emotional management conundrum when fear, frustration, anxiety, insecurity, or self-doubt thwart the best of plans. Students and adults alike battle with procrastination. Procrastination can cycle and build into negative thought patterns called procrastinatory cognitions (the Procrastinatory Cognitions Inventory (PCI) has 18 such items). Social and emotional learning (SEL) supports students’ development of self-awareness and self-regulation skills, which can help in such emotional management. SEL promotes a growth mindset and grit, too.

Nearpod offers over 400 SEL lessons, activities, and videos built on CASEL’s five core competencies in the 21st-Century Readiness Program. This program offers a simple method for incorporating SEL practices, such as fostering positive interactions, promoting gratitude, facilitating reflective moments into daily learning routines, and contributing to the establishment of safe, inclusive, and effective classroom environments.

Nearpod also offers free social and emotional learning (SEL) lessons and activities. Features such as Collaborate Board, Draw It, Drag & Drop, Time to Climb, and Interactive Video can be used for emotional check-ins and practices. Here are some examples of motivational activities for students:

• Time to Climb: Social Emotional Learning (Grades 3-5)
• Collaborate Board: Share Your Mood (Grades 6-12)
• Collaborate Board Check-In (Grades 2-12)
• Interactive Video: Mantras (Grades 3-8)
• Interactive Video: What Is Empathy? (Grades 6-8)

7. Show that you’re human, too

So much of what teachers do well is model. And modeling means showing the messy side of life, too. When motivating students to learn, share how you’ve failed forward and pushed through tough times or daunting tasks to inspire them. Talk about lofty goals you had and how you modified or broke them down into smaller goals that build upon one another. Illustrate how strong goals are reframed as SMART goals. Share future goals that you have and the power of “yet” – that you have yet to achieve it all.

Share some of Nearpod’s lessons and activities on goal setting to motivate them forward:

• Time to Climb: Goal Setting (Available for grades 3-6)
• Time to Climb: Time Management (Grades 6-8)
• Interactive Video: Growth Mindset (Grades 4-12)
• Lesson: Goal Planning (Grades 3-5)
• Lesson: Setting Goals (Grades 6-8)

Boost student motivation with Nearpod’s support

Staying motivated is a key goal not only for our students but for teachers, too. We are facing high teacher attrition rates due to factors that are overriding teachers’ intrinsic sense of pride and purpose in their careers. Teachers are lifelong learners who look to inspire the next generation. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.” Seek to motivate the curiosity in yourself and those around you! And just remember: “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!”

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Interactive technology tools like Nearpod can support educators in boosting student motivation.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access the lessons in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post How to boost student motivation in the classroom for academic excellence appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What are the benefits of effective feedback for students?

Effective student feedback has far-reaching effects. From personalizing individuals’ learning to informing teachers’ methodology to fostering a positive school culture, a consistent and proactive feedback cycle can support the overall school community to reach its education goals. This feedback loop is most effective when it is grounded in authenticity and trust to promote students’ progress when it comes to their performance and behavior. MIT’s Teaching + Learning Lab states: “Effective feedback: 1) is targeted, 2) communicates progress, 3) is timely, and 4) gives students the opportunity to practice and implement the feedback received.”

What are the different types of feedback for students?

When providing feedback to students, you may find yourself doing so informally—by providing suggestions, recommendations, or course corrections in the moment. This informal feedback can become a meaningful exchange and provides the student with an opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Conversely, you may want to give more formal feedback at times in writing, through grades, or verbally. There are many video platforms that enable you to capture video or audio feedback to share a personalized message. This form of feedback tends to be more scheduled and tied to evidence of student progress against learning objectives and goals. 

Additionally, feedback may be formative and provides guidance throughout the learning journey. This feedback may be more granular and helps students pivot, prevent missteps, and build confidence. Feedback may be summative and reflective of a task or the learning at the end of a unit. Summative feedback is benchmarked against learning objectives and usually looks back, as well as provides steps for moving forward and continuing to improve. As part of authentic assessments, many educators now use rubrics to help students provide feedback to one another or for themselves. Remember, the goal is for all types of feedback to be constructive.

Why use Nearpod to provide effective feedback?

Nearpod facilitates this seamless and continuous student feedback loop through high-quality instructional moments, engaging students in active learning experiences and guiding instruction decisions via real-time insights. Nearpod offers features to help provide support and scaffolding to students through instant visual and written feedback, helping to create a roadmap for both students and teachers to reach their learning objectives. With such feedback, Nearpod provides a solution that increases students’ participation, performance, and engagement by building their confidence, self-awareness, and enthusiasm for learning. Plus, the individual and collective data provides valuable insights to better inform your teaching methods and enhance classroom dynamics.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

6 Strategies to provide meaningful student feedback

1. Provide timely feedback

Why is feedback important to students? Nowadays, we don’t wait until the end of a unit to gather feedback. We recognize that the most meaningful feedback is immediate, just in time. A delay in feedback can result in the learner not connecting the feedback to the learning moment, thus deprioritizing the need for additional practice or learning; hence, there is no priority put on relearning or practicing the skill or concept. You want to help your students avoid cementing “bad habits” or misconceptions by intervening in the moment. Data-driven instruction relies on continuous formative assessment strategies; consider how these checks for understanding can be conveyed back to the student so that they can have agency in their own learning journeys.

With Nearpod’s real-time insights, you can see student responses in the moment and provide them immediate feedback verbally or with Live Teacher Feedback. Live Teacher Feedback is available in Draw It, Drag & Drop, and Math Manipulatives. Simply click on the “Give Feedback” button to expand the drawable toolbar. You can use Drawables to create stickers or annotations to praise, encourage, or provide support for students’ work. You can provide constructive feedback examples for students by pointing out real-world connections, providing contextualization, reteaching, or reemphasizing a key learning objective all within the student’s individual experience. Think of these types of student feedback as micro-interventions! Students will see your feedback in real time, and screenshots of all feedback will be saved into the related student post-session reports.

2. Consider words of motivation

While there are many types of student feedback, it needs to be authentic, inspiring, and empowering to motivate students to reach high and dream big. As you provide feedback for students, choose your words carefully to provide support that personalizes learning to individuals’ learning goals, whether that be a modification or a further challenge. Too often, ill-worded feedback can put a damper on students’ motivation, so seek out opportunities to praise student effort, work, and behavior (versus just course correcting) when it comes to the best way to provide feedback to students. How can your feedback be construed as constructive and not critical?

Within the Nearpod platform, you can share student work as exemplars. You can choose to do so anonymously and include or hide your feedback when you present student feedback examples. Showcasing student work is one way to bolster both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, from garnering peer respect to building confidence. Provide positive feedback for students’ examples by sharing a “feedback sandwich” of COMPLIMENT, CORRECT, and COMPLIMENT.

3. Be action-oriented

In providing feedback for students, use data-informed practices to provide specifics about the next steps, rather than giving empty accolades. “Almost there!” or even “Well done!” doesn’t provide details on what the student achieved or what they may need to address. Targeted feedback includes actionable steps about what has been mastered or what needs to be improved upon. Lean on quantitative scores as well as qualitative responses to construct a robust profile of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. A continuous feedback cycle is not only beneficial to the student, but it also provides you the opportunity to make in-the-moment instructional decisions to better support your students’ needs.

Whether addressing the whole group, a small group, or individual students, such formal and informal checks for understanding can lead to best practices for data-driven schools. 86% of Nearpod’s customers say Nearpod helps evaluate student performance. Such data will encourage you to refine, redesign, and react in the most supportive manner. And this is where differentiation and personalization comes into play.

Nearpod offers nine types of formative assessment that teachers can weave into lesson plans to personalize students’ instruction and provide differentiation, which only increases student agency and ownership. Through your instructional design, you can provide micro-interventions by modifying existing lessons or assigning a variety of lessons, thereby tailoring instruction and making all learning experiences inclusive. You can choose interactive activities that promote gamification to help incentivize and motivate your students. Within your Teacher Dashboard, you can find individual and collective data about your classes’ interaction with Nearpod lessons and activities, whether teaching with Live or Student-Paced Lessons. Download and share these comprehensive reports as CSV or PDF files to guide your classroom’s next steps.

4. Take a co-constructed approach

True feedback should solicit a two-way conversation, a dialogue between student and teacher. Avoid just delivering (or, worse yet, lecturing), and instead seek out ways to involve your learners in evaluating progress. You can hold a mini-conference to analyze the results and consider the next steps. Take the opportunity to model how to assess and evaluate one’s own performance by asking questions. Scaffold examples of teacher feedback to students so that they will be active listeners. This approach will promote student agency and empowerment. It will highlight how learning is a partnership and collaboration between student and teacher. An ongoing feedback loop is a tried-and-true way to build rapport and foster trust within the classroom community.

Nearpod facilitates this type of co-constructed feedback experience. You can permit your students to access and assess their own reports to promote the creation of personal learning goals. By promoting accountability, you will encourage them to design a learning path aligned to their individual learning style(s). Imagine building this level of collaboration. You could even take it one step further and have students build metacognitive thinking skills by making Student Notes or creating a reflection via Audio Record on their progress, thus building an authentic portfolio of student work. No longer do teachers aspire to be “a sage on the stage” or conduct “a chalk and talk.” Instead, students are viewed as co-pilots. This simple shift in mindset makes for improved hands-on, minds-on engagement and simplifies classroom management.

Students need endless feedback more than they need endless teaching.

Grant Wiggins

5. Ask for continuous student feedback

Incorporating continuous student feedback into the classroom creates a more inclusive and responsive learning environment. By actively seeking student input, teachers can adapt their instructional strategies to better meet the needs of all learners. This process identifies areas where students may be struggling while also highlighting what is working well. Regular feedback loops encourage students to reflect on their own learning and communicate their needs, fostering a sense of agency and ownership over their educational journey. Implementing simple methods, such as exit tickets, quick surveys, or digital tools that allow for real time responses, ensures that student voices are heard consistently.

The Student Reactions feature was designed to empower students to actively participate in the feedback cycle. At any time during a Live Lesson, students can ask for help or respond to quick checks for understanding through a bank of visual icons. They might give a thumbs up to emphasize that they’re moving in the right direction, or they might choose a question mark to indicate that further clarification is needed. Student Reactions make it easier for educators to gauge student comprehension in real time. By encouraging this dynamic interaction, Nearpod ensures that every student has a voice, enhancing the overall learning experience while supporting more effective teaching strategies.

Additionally, Student Reactions boosts student accountability, driving them to take ownership of their learning progress. As students become more engaged and responsible for their own understanding, they are more likely to connect with the material and retain instructional content, leading to improved outcomes and a more enriching educational journey.

6. Let feedback guide your professional development

Encourage your administrator to analyze student data alongside you. Feedback patterns and trends should help structure what your school’s professional development could look like. In which areas are students struggling? Which instructional strategies could be improved? Too often, schools are data rich but insight poor. Schools need to adopt a data-driven mindset so that they are well informed, thorough, and strategic. Data-driven schools hold the promise of taking a more collaborative and community-based approach to school improvement. So, as a staff member, consider how you can help paint a more complete picture of your students wrapping the data in the empathy you bring into the classroom daily. 

Nearpod’s platform offers content and interactive activities not just for students but for teachers as well. Your school can use the dynamic presentation tools to share professional development that teachers can tackle in person through a Group Presentation, or reference the content when needed within a school’s Library. Teaching teams can use Nearpod’s multimedia presentations to share data insights in a visually rich and digestive manner with one another. A school leader can introduce new resources or programs while providing interactive activities as instances of practice or quick checks for understanding with staff members as well. Additionally, a school leader can adopt these best practices when it comes to feedback in order to better support teachers’ needs as well.

Start using Nearpod for student feedback

In 21st-century learning, the 4Cs are critical: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. These 4Cs are hallmarks of good feedback as well. The student feedback loop underscores the need for clear communication and meaningful collaboration. Students and teachers can use critical thinking to decipher what is working well in the classroom and which steps toward improvement may be needed. A feedback-rich classroom can ideate creatively to build a strong classroom culture that fosters positive, trusting, and respectful relationships. For more than a decade, Nearpod has been dedicated to embracing a similar mindset when it comes to receiving feedback from teachers and school leaders in its community. Designed by and for educators, Nearpod actively listens to product feedback to iterate on delivering standards-aligned content and innovative features that help teachers teach and students learn year after year. It’s really that simple!

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 6 Strategies to provide meaningful student feedback appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What are the benefits of small group instruction?

Small group instruction supports classroom management, builds community, and, most importantly, supports individual students’ needs. With small groups in the classroom, teachers can better tailor their instruction to students’ learning goals and provide meaningful feedback in the moment. The targeted skill development provides students with more instances of practice in an environment that encourages higher levels of participation and engagement. As a result, students are more likely to stay focused, ask questions, and share their ideas.

What is small group teaching?

Small group instruction is a student-centered teaching method in which the teacher still provides the instruction but to a smaller cohort of students. The group size can range from two to many; most teachers appreciate the valuable interaction time and keep the group size to under five or six students. Often, while small group instruction is happening, the other students are engaging in similar small group work.

Small group teaching with Nearpod’s support

Nearpod embraces more innovative teaching strategies by turning what may be passive learning experiences into more active learning experiences. Nearpod’s platform can transform student engagement with content that is visually rich, activities that promote active learning, and data-rich reporting to better inform instruction. And the beauty of Nearpod’s design is the flexibility it offers and that educators require.

Teachers can assign the whole group one lesson, activity, or task via Nearpod Student-Paced mode, and then work directly with a smaller group of students using a Live Participation lesson targeting a particular skill or topic. In both instances, the teacher can leverage real-time data via the Teacher Dashboard to inform small group instruction and also monitor the rest of the class’s focus and progress.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

7 Tips for successful small group instruction

1. Target your instruction

It’s a given that students have varied and individual needs. Yet, teachers often lament that there is not enough time in the day to address each student as much as they’d like (required instructional time varies from state to state). Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, small groups can be particularly effective when grouped based on students’ individual needs and abilities. With small group instruction, you will have the opportunity to rotate around the classroom and differentiate instruction as needed. Small group instruction examples meet Tier II of the MTSS framework. You may want to move between clusters of desks or pull students to an area of the classroom where you can host mini-conferences to review work or further support skill development in a more targeted manner.

You can rely on Nearpod’s Teacher Dashboard during a Live Participation Lesson to provide real-time formative assessment data to help inform your next steps and differentiate instruction. In the Post-Session Reports, you can look for patterns across your classroom of students to help you design small groups to optimize instructional time. Also, for a data-informed approach to instruction during a lesson, use Nearpod’s real-time insights to keep a finger on the pulse of the classroom at all times. With Nearpod’s formative assessment activities, you can make data-informed decisions when it comes to individualizing and personalizing instruction. Even with Student-Paced lessons, educators can monitor students’ learning while they complete their assignments.

2. Add your secret sauce

You know your students best. You are with them day in and out and are constantly observing behaviors and evaluating student progress. With small group instruction, you can intervene in the moment or through planned activities in many different ways as suggested by RTI (Response to Intervention). But even within group work, you can tailor content to address different learning styles or accessibility needs. Consider the ways you can differentiate and enhance the content and the pedagogy to make sure you reach all kids.

Nearpod acknowledges the artists that teachers are. With a simple click, you can duplicate any Nearpod lesson planning and then make edits to adjust the content and flow to meet your entire class’s or a small group’s needs. You can add multimedia content to enrich the presentation of new material through videos, audio files, images, articles, or PDFs. You can turn on Immersive Reader to make the content more accessible, especially for small group reading instruction. You can merge, delete, or reorder slides with content and activities as necessary. Nearpod capitalizes on the best of technology to drive student achievement through high-quality instructional experiences.

3. Build student confidence

With the varied student learning styles you are bound to have in one classroom, small group instruction can help to build student confidence. Many students may be reticent to ask questions or ask for clarification during a whole-group lesson. Small group teaching can give students the extra boost of confidence and motivation to speak up and participate more readily. They can bolster their communication skills by expressing their thoughts and taking risks. For instance, when a student reads a complex text, the teacher can facilitate discussions in smaller groups to ensure that all students understand the material thoroughly.

Nearpod’s suite of nine interactive activities speaks to students’ diverse learning styles, encouraging them to express their ideas in a variety of ways. Within a small group, you may want to leverage the activities depending on learning objectives or learning styles. One student might grasp onto the visual cues of Matching Pairs, while another may enjoy the creative expression of Draw It.

4. Gradually release responsibility

Many of you may already rely on the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, often referred to as “I do, we do, you do.” In this model, the teacher begins with direction instruction and modeling, before shifting to a small group setting and then to independent practice. Whether you are working with 30 students or three, you can still apply this same strategy to provide students with optimal support and allow them to take ownership of (and risks in) their own learning journeys.

Within Nearpod, you may want to start small group activities in Live Participation mode. You can tee up the lesson, set clear expectations, and begin some guided exploration. Yet, small group instruction time can be all too brief—in which case you can switch from Live Participation to Student Paced mode to enable the students to complete the rest of the lesson on their own. You won’t have to launch another code or have them start over. Instead, you can optimize the instructional time by streamlining instruction with Nearpod.

5. Promote peer-to-peer learning

While you are working with small groups in the classroom, you can promote peer-to-peer learning with the rest of the class. Peer-to-peer learning is a collaborative learning activity where students teach and learn from one another—they support and challenge one another to hone critical thinking skills. Peer-to-peer learning promotes effective communication skills, from providing constructive feedback to asking thoughtful questions to resolving conflicts. One of the strongest undercurrents of a successful classroom is a strong sense of community. This classroom culture can make or break a student’s experience. By creating a safe and comfortable learning environment, peer-to-peer learning promotes the sharing of opinions, the diversity of ideas, and respect for one another.

Within Nearpod, the Collaborate Board celebrates such an exchange of ideas. Students’ thoughts can be visualized, shared, heard, and further developed. With the Collaborate Board, students have more methods and means to share their thinking and participate in the conversation without feeling like they’re in the spotlight. They learn how to respectfully disagree or even how to change opinions based on someone else’s contributions. One popular design thinking method is for kids to build off of one another’s ideas by stating, “Yes, and …” first. “Yes, and …” is a way to brainstorm, positively acknowledge, support, and collaborate; no one’s contributions are shot down! 

6. Build positive teacher-student relationships

Part of a teacher’s skill set is building and nurturing relationships with students. One of the great benefits of small group instruction is that you can get to know your students even better by diving into their individual passions and interests. You can peel back the layers of their personality and find authentic connections to develop greater trust and understanding. Such positive relationships result in an increased desire to learn, which can lead to overall academic improvement. Plus, students will feel a deeper sense of belonging and community with such teacher-student bonding.

Nearpod offers more than 22,000 quality lessons, so you can easily find content and activities that not only meet your classroom learning goals but also speak to individual students’ interests. Lean on the standards-aligned library of content to find activities that spark engagement and speak to kids’ innate curiosity. And remember that you can take Nearpod lessons and duplicate them, in order to edit and make modifications with specific students in mind.

Start using Nearpod today

Small group instruction has countless benefits that empower students to achieve all they can. Small group teaching also enables you to wield your teaching skills to best meet your students where they are, all while encouraging confidence and community within your classroom walls. Nearpod not only showcases but also facilitates ways to stay innovative when it comes to teaching and learning. By listening to the needs of teachers and leaning on the research behind how students learn best, Nearpod is able to encourage best practices when it comes to crafting optimal learning experiences for all ages across all subjects.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 6 Tips for successful small group instruction appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Harry Wong, coauthor of The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher, writes, “The most important day of a person’s education is the first day of school, not Graduation Day.” And while Mr. Wong most likely spoke of that first big day of kindergarten, students get a gift of a new beginning, a new first day, each and every school year. It is an opportunity to reset, realign, and reimagine the upcoming school experience. Students and teachers must forge new relationships to come together and work toward success through the beginning of the school year activities.

Take a moment to check out these turnkey and fun activities you can employ during the first week of school to build your classroom culture. All the while, you and your schools can become more familiar with the offerings and features of Nearpod.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Back to School icebreakers and first week of school activities with Nearpod

1. Ready, set, and prep for the new school year!

Lesson subject guides

Are you looking to save prep time and boost learning this school year? With ready-to-launch lessons, activities, and videos, these guides can help you remediate key skills, reteach concepts, and even prep for testing time. Find lessons for ELA, math, social studies, and science, all organized by grade level and topic, making it easy to select just what you need.

Whether you’re new to Nearpod, a seasoned Nearpod pro, or even new to the classroom – these guides were curated so you can spend less time searching for resources and more time doing what you love: teaching.

• Download Social Studies Lesson Guide 
• Download Science Lesson Guide
• Download Math Lesson Guide
• Download ELA Lesson Guide

Live and on-demand webinar trainings

In anticipation of the start of a new school year, districts often kick off teachers’ returns with a couple of in-service days. Yet this allotted time is rarely enough to get up to speed on the latest and greatest tools and resources. So teachers often seek out their own professional growth opportunities. 

Consider registering for Nearpod’s one-hour, free live webinars over the next month. From basics to best practices, learn some tricks of the trade for using Nearpod effectively in your classroom. Choose a webinar topic and click on the drop-down menu to see all date/time options! You can also scroll through our calendar to find a time that works for you.

Or, scroll through Nearpod’s live webinar calendar and filter via the monthly, weekly, or daily view to find a topic and time best for you.

2. Get to know each other with digital icebreaker activities

During the first week, most teachers try to establish a sense of classroom culture to build camaraderie, respect, and teamwork — a solid foundation for the rest of the year. Each year, I was eager to get to know my students — firstly, to remember their names, and secondly, to learn those nuanced likes/dislikes, personality traits, and hopes and dreams that make each student an individual learner. It is often a fast and furious meeting, so teachers tend to try to dive deep to get to know their students. Don’t underestimate the value of icebreaker activities for students.

Here is a daily suggestion for the beginning of the school year activities to build classroom community:

• Introduce your students to several of Nearpod’s interactive features while asking them to reveal a bit more about themselves to one another.
  • Back to School Ice Breakers K-5
  • Back to School Ice Breakers 6-12
• In small groups of four, use this activity to guide students to find commonalities and unique traits about one another.
  • Icebreaker: Getting to Know You: K-5 
  • Icebreaker: Unique & Common: 6-12
• Put students into pairs and invite them to use only drawings to tell a story about a recent event or adventure.
  • Icebreaker: Storytelling: K-5
  • Icebreaker: Mystery Event: 6-12
• Invite students to draw two objects that reveal something unique about themselves to another.
  • Icebreaker: Two Things About Me: K-5
  • Icebreaker: Two Objects: 6-12
• Set the tone and help build relationships by having each student reveal more about themselves by sharing fun facts.
  • Template: All About Me: K-5
  • Getting to Know Me: 6-12

Ready for some more? Find an entire library of icebreaker activities that you can filter by grade and subject, all within Nearpod.

3. Use interactive activities to help establish a classroom routine

Children thrive with classroom routines to help them mentally and physically prepare for the tasks. In addition to getting to know one another, try establishing a sense of routine as quickly as possible. A regular and predictable schedule can help students feel safe by lowering anxiety and heightening their sense of agency. With consistency and stability comes a sense of comfort as well as a sense of anticipation. Established routines can help develop constructive habits and allow students to flex their sense of independence and autonomy around their learning pursuits. Skip the pieces of paper and index cards and instead try one of these anticipatory sets, called “bell ringers” or “bellwork” activities, to start each day off well.

• Use a Collaborate Board to kick off the day with a personal touch to explore one of the suggested check-in topics.
• Take a daily social and emotional temperature check to gauge your students’ learning readiness. Plus, it supports their self-awareness and self-regulation skills.
  • Social Emotional Temperature Check: Elementary
  • Social Emotional Temperature Check: Secondary

• Get creative and pose a morning activity or puzzle for students to answer the questions via one of Nearpod’s interactive features. Such a sponge activity will help center students’ attention and start the school day with some critical and creative thinking. Here are some ideas to get started:
  • Matching Pairs
  • Draw It
  • Time to Climb

• Launch into the day with a real-world connection by discussing Current Events or listening to a Week in Rap
  • Current Events lesson folder is updated every month
  • New Week in Rap every week

• Discover a plethora of resources with Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program. This holistic program includes ready-to-teach interactive lessons, videos, and activities for social and emotional learning (SEL), digital citizenship, financial literacy, and college, and career readiness. With this program, you can access premade Brain Breaks to establish throughout the school day that recharge and redirect students’ focus.

4. Introduce new tech tools to students

In addition to familiarizing students with the materials they will need this school year — supply lists, room organization, and classroom resources — you will want to get students up and running with any new tools or programs as quickly as possible. This includes learning how to teach your students to use Nearpod. It is best to immerse them and “learn by doing.” With Nearpod, some of the most engaging features are effective for both teaching techniques and learning strategies. Immerse yourself alongside your students to try out these tools. Even if you’re not an early adopter of technology, you can still model being an eager adopter! Lifelong learning at its best.

• Nearpod Orientation K-2
• Nearpod Orientation 3-5
• Nearpod Orientation 6-12

5. Evaluate students’ prior knowledge

All students have varied levels of prior knowledge, real-world experiences, and quality schooling that they bring with them into the classroom. Each new year brings a classroom full of diverse needs. Find ways to continually evaluate students’ prior knowledge as well as progress through formative assessment techniques. Students love educational games such as Time to Climb!

Consider these interactive activities and assessments:

• Polls 
• Time to Climb 
• Quizzes
• Open-ended Questions
• Drag & Drop
• Draw It
• Fill in the Blanks
• Matching Pairs

Use Nearpod to deliver effective instruction

Teachers know to write their plan books in pencil since the best-laid plans can quickly go awry. Still, it is a good idea to overplan a bit for the first week so that you can be responsive to the classroom full of new students. Options are helpful for the first day of school activities! Mix and match the activities to gauge which engages your students the most. Have a collaborative mindset as you embark on this yearlong journey with your pint-sized partners (or not-so-pint-sized …). Enjoy this exciting time of the school year, and know that you have a community of Nearpod educators ready to support you!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post Back to school icebreakers and first week of school activities with Nearpod appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Yet, this summer, there is a cloud over welcoming educators — administrators first have to face the fact that the hiring cycle is in disarray since our nation has hit a pinnacle in the teacher shortage crisis. However, there are some definitive steps that administrators can take in strategizing a short-term and long-term plan when it comes to hiring, onboarding, and retaining new staff.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Join us for Camp Engage: Back to School on July 25-27th!

Save your spot now for Camp Engage, a FREE virtual PD event designed to help you make the most of the upcoming school year and find creative ways to engage your students.

This unique opportunity allows educators to earn professional education credits while exploring cutting-edge teaching techniques and tools. Explore over 30 virtual and on-demand sessions led by renowned experts to gain insights to elevate your teaching practices.

What is the current teacher shortage crisis?

For years now, experts have warned of an impending teacher shortage due to a host of issues. Now, these issues have culminated into a new-hire crisis that is much out of administrators’ control:

• Since 2010, total enrollment in teacher preparation programs has declined by ⅓, coupled with a large decline in program completion. This strain on incoming, well-qualified teacher candidates is putting a strain on the hiring process.
• Teachers’ salaries are low, especially within the current competitive job market, and actually are $2,179 less, on average, than ten years ago when current inflation is taken into account.
• Working conditions have become more challenging, especially over the past two years of teaching during the pandemic. Recent Adopt-a-Classroom survey respondents reported:

• 81% – The overall workload has increased.
• 80% – Spending more time addressing students’ mental health.
• 71% – Spending more of their own money on classroom materials.
• 69% – Getting students back on track from learning loss.
• 58% – Increase in classroom interruptions during instruction.
• 55% – Less planning time due to staff shortages and other factors.

• Public perception of teaching has shifted with PDK International found in 2018 that a majority of surveyed parents do not want their children to become teachers.
• Educators’ career pathways are often viewed as limited, with few perceived growth opportunities. Consider that the 2021 average cost for a Master’s degree in education was $55,200. A 2021 study of LinkedIn member profile updates showed a 66% increase in school-job departures over the previous year.

The Great Resignation

In addition to the constrained influx of new teachers is the increasing rate of teachers who are taking leaves, quitting, or resigning early. Many are predicting that we will soon be faced with “The Great Resignation” within the field of education. NPR recently reported that 55% of teachers surveyed by the NEA shared that they are looking to exit the profession “sooner than they had originally planned:”

• 90% of its members say that feeling burned out is a serious problem.
• 86% say they have seen more educators leaving the profession or retiring early since the start of the pandemic.
• 80% report that unfilled job openings have led to more work obligations for those left.

Shortage of substitute teachers

There is also a shortage of qualified substitute teachers adding to this burden of setting up school staff and their students for success. According to the Brookings Institute, teachers miss an average of 11 days of instruction during an 186-day school year. Some studies actually point to a standard deviation decrease in math and English Language Arts test scores due to such teacher absences. NPR shared how some states, like New Mexico, have resorted to leaning on parents or other civil servants like firefighters or the National Guard. 

While this overall teacher shortage issue is not “new” – back in 2015, The Washington Post shared a similar list of issues, including the undue pressure from high-stakes testing – it has definitely reached a critical pinnacle. All in all, it is resulting in an arduous hiring, onboarding, and retention cycle for school and district administrators, especially when you consider the hyperlocal constraints that school communities juggle.

How can school administrators support teachers and staff?

So with such odds stacked against the field of education, how can school administrators best support the newcomers they do recruit? A newcomer might be a green-thumbed educator or maybe be more experienced, but nevertheless, they are becoming part of a new school community, one with its own unique company culture.

Now with school districts across the country scrambling to fill vacancies left from teacher turnover, it’s essential that we understand the many challenges pulling teachers out of the classroom. I would argue that the main one is the loss of joy in teaching. How can we rediscover that joy?

Domonique Dickson from Education Week

As an administrator, continue to strive to reduce the barriers to entry when it comes to onboarding new staff. Consider how you can enhance the value proposition for teaching at your school or district. And do make sure to capitalize on efficiencies to optimize instructional time for all.

Work with broader team members to outline short-term and longer-term plans to triage the immediate needs and strategize toward future goals. And look for ways to start this new school year off on the right foot for all.

How to redesign a new teacher orientation

As a learning expert, you need to employ your own teaching lens when redesigning the teacher onboarding experience for your staff. Ask yourself:

• How can I make this orientation a shared, meaningful experience for new and veteran teachers?
• How can I provide strategies to empower individuals to find the individualized answers they need when they need them?
• How can I lessen the learning curve by providing curated resources in an efficient, organized manner?

Consider how you can employ Nearpod to help orient your new hires to your district and school community. These resources can be shared in a new orientation meeting but also can be referenced over and over again by the individual teachers as needed – they can become a source of truth as well as a one-stop shop for your staff. Explore below 10 tips for new educator orientations:

1. Digital resources and presentations

Use Nearpod to create digital resources and presentations. Explore the Nearpod Library for inspiration, and then create presentations to share ideas during staff meetings. These presentations then serve as a running record of highlighted and captured information and can be shared with absent staff members as well.

2. Create a climate survey

Take a team approach to welcome (and retain) newcomers. Do so by first creating a climate survey using Nearpod’s Quiz or Poll features to get a sense of areas needing improvement at the beginning of the year. Then anoint a team made up of staff and community members to tackle the issues in a variety of ways. Jenee Henry Wood suggested a three-step approach of Triage → Tinker → Transform (EdSurge) to address ways to problem-solve school staffing needs. Remember to follow up with an end-of-year post-survey as well to gauge progress.

3. Personalize onboarding presentations

Consider personalizing onboarding presentations that can be shared by you in person but then accessed virtually as needed throughout the year. You can include interactive assessment tools to serve as team-building activities for teachers. Here are some tips you can use for orientation activities and onboarding presentations:

• Use a video to add a message from you, the administrator, describing your school’s philosophy. Videos can help personalize your welcome. You may want to take viewers on a virtual tour of your campus. 
• Share a “Facebook” of images of your staff to help identify who is whom, their titles, and their key responsibilities through social media.
• Create a timeline to showcase some of your district’s or school’s achievements throughout recent years.
• Insert interactive slides that outline set procedures, such as taking attendance or responding to a fire drill.

• Add in audio files for bits like school spirit songs. 
• Use Nearpod’s Interactive Slides and Interactive Video to engage teachers a bit more in active learning and draw them into learning about these new processes and their new community. Add more interactive experiences to your presentation by including Draw It and Matching Pairs activities.

4. Pair teachers up

Pair teachers up with one another! Whether as a mentor or simply a buddy, identify those teachers in your school who would be willing to welcome another and answer those “smaller” questions: Where are supplies kept? Who monitors the lunchroom? Where do classes go during fire drills? By smaller, they are no means less important, but these details rarely show up in new hire packets or binders. Teachers hit the ground running, so find ways to provide teacher pairs time to meet and support each other so that newbies don’t feel isolated. Plus, they can help familiarize them with tools like Nearpod or point them to the handy Teacher Resources as needed.

5. Organize all school and district resources in one place

Designate a School or District Library on Nearpod to organize and share presentations and resources digitally. Include links to shared folders so that your teachers have an easy-to-reference “cheat sheet” of need-to-know information as they become more familiar with where and how everything is kept and stored. You may want to link to approved tools and platforms, too so that teachers can capitalize on the best practices your staff has already identified and adopted.

6. Leverage fun team-building activities

Consider how to leverage student activities like the Collaborate Board and Time to Climb as staff meeting icebreakers and amend them to help build collegiality and facilitate communication between staff members. Although educators traditionally use these fun tools with students, they are also perfect team-building activities for teachers.

7. Share resources for sub-planning

Highlight where educators can find meaningful sub-plans regardless of who is pitch-hitting for the day. Share via an email address lessons from the bank of Sub Plans as well as standard-aligned lessons that can work well in-person or virtually for student-paced, independent learning. With Student-Paced codes, students don’t need logins or passwords – which can be arduous for a sub to track down – plus all of their work automatically will be saved to the classroom account. 

8. Provide a grab-and-go professional development folder

Provide a grab-and-go professional development folder to house the vetted and curated experiences that you have created or sourced, like webinars, articles, and asynchronous courses. This is a very useful resource to use during your teacher orientation process! Add in a variety of assessment activities to provide your staff with quick knowledge checks for their own understanding. Share ways and resources to help educators cultivate their craft and grow professionally so that they feel empowered to set and pursue a desired professional path/pathway.

9. Use reports for student progress

Socialize school or district-level reports for teachers to better understand their students’ progress throughout the year. Such interim assessments and reflection will help inform short and longer-term planning.

10. Introduce staff using Flip

Introduce your staff to a private Flip board just for your staff where you can post updates in a more authentic and personalized manner week over week. Flip allows for video-based responses too, which can help ensure an ongoing, real-time feedback loop with your staff, whether 1:1, with everyone, or in small group. Build school spirit in a timely manner with this more personalized approach. You can easily embed the Flip into a Nearpod lesson to house all resources in one place, along with interactive activities.

11. BONUS TIP: Join our educator community

Share good teaching! Find ways to celebrate examples of strong teaching and learning and recognize those teachers who, like their students, strive to go “above and beyond.” Join Nearpod’s Facebook Community of educators to check out what your teachers are doing well as for inspiration.

Learn how to bring Nearpod to your school

We hope these ideas for planning a new teacher orientation sparked some inspiration! With the ever-shifting education landscape, you, as an administrator, need to be responsive in how you redesign onboarding and build collaborative teaching teams. From welcoming new hires to retaining educators year after year, you will want to begin outlining short-term and longer-term strategies for solving this teaching shortage. Try positioning this current crisis as a teachable moment for your whole staff, and lean on your staff — the experts — that you have hired as part of your school community to help take steps toward school or district-wide solutions.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 10 Ideas for redesigning a new teacher orientation appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Student engagement refers to when students actively participate, contribute, question, personalize, and take ownership of their learning. There are usually some telltale hints, such as hands waving in the air, students jumping in their seats, and eyes literally sparkling. Student engagement strategies make a teacher’s job easier and fulfill their goal of developing students into lifelong learners.

Classrooms have changed and will continue to change as times evolve. Methodologies and pedagogies should shift as new philosophies, research, and technology come into play. Gone are the days of a “sage on a stage” preaching to rows of children.

Nearpod’s instructional platform supports both teachers and students in individualizing the learning process so growth and progress are optimized over time. Explore strategies to increase student engagement in your classroom with Nearpod’s support.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

6 Strategies to elevate student engagement in the classroom

1. Leverage real-time insights

Formative assessment is the process through which teachers gather real-time feedback and evidence of learning to guide the next steps of their instruction. For instance, let’s say a teacher delivers a math lesson on finding the lowest common denominator. During a quick check for understanding, only half the class can accurately answer a question and correctly find the lowest common denominator. The teacher uses that evidence and most likely reteaches the concept before moving on. Such real-time insights are key to a teacher addressing not only the learning objectives and standards but also ensuring every student’s learning needs are being met, which will support classroom student engagement.

Nearpod was designed to give teachers these powerful real-time insights! Teachers have access to in-the-moment student responses. They can use this evidence of learning to share them with the whole class, address misconceptions in the moment, and modify instruction to support learning through these student engagement strategies. The intuitive Nearpod dashboard provides quantifiable data in a visual format, making it easier for a teacher to determine the next steps with a quick glance and a bit of instructional ingenuity. And it’s not just in-the-moment data: after completing a Nearpod session, teachers can review the post-session reports to inform their data-driven instruction further.

2. Active learning

Active learning quite simply means that the child is physically and mentally engaged in the learning at hand. Teachers use all sorts of traditional and innovative engagement strategies to promote such participation. From hands on heads to think-pair-share, teachers aim to invite each student to make personal or real-world connections to their learning. Teachers want each and every student to know they have a role and a responsibility as they enter the classroom.

When schools reopened for in-person learning after the COVID shutdowns, we saw endearing social media posts of teachers welcoming kids back into the classroom actively, where the kids chose the greeting—such a simple activity can help involve kids in their learning process.

Technology can also foster active learning. When using Nearpod for active engagement strategies, students are more actively involved in their own learning, with features and interactive activities that support many of the principles James Paul Gee highlighted in his 16 Principles of Good Video Game-Based Learning. Students are challenged cognitively and socially; many of Nearpod’s activities act as springboards for meaningful in-person conversations. Nearpod encourages students to have a sense of agency and be the drivers of their own learning.

3. Focus on student motivation

In a world of constant beeps, chirps, and buzzes, it can be hard for students to avoid distractions, stay focused, and be motivated to succeed and learn. Sure, we can use extrinsic motivators to give students a carrot or a brass ring to reach for. But ideally, our tactics lead them to find the internal motivation to accomplish a task at hand and take the next steps without much prodding.

Nearpod’s educational game, Time to Climb, provides friendly competition to incentivize engagement. As they make progress (moving or “climbing” up the mountain), their own intrinsic motivation grows, and their confidence and enjoyment build as they learn. Teachers can create their own version of this gamified multiple-choice quiz on any topic or use one of the hundreds of pre-made Time to Climbs available in Nearpod. These student-centered games motivate students and foster classroom engagement.

4. Student voice

Often, you may hear educators talk about “student voice and choice.” Student voice is when kids are empowered to share their stories, their opinions, and their perspectives. Not only does such dialog promote community, but it helps hone children’s developing sense of self, independence, and individuality. To do so, teachers seek to challenge students’ high-order thinking skills, like evaluating, problem-solving, and creating. Creativity is just one of the “4Cs” for 21st-century education: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity (Battelle for Kids). Regardless of age, all children need to hold on to their sense of wonder, feed their bubbling curiosity, and bolster their questioning attitude. In doing so, they refine their voices to continue contributing and engaging in the classroom.

Using Nearpod strategies for student engagement encourages all kids to employ high-order thinking skills, especially through interactive activities like Draw It and Collaborate Board. With Draw It, students use a drawing assessment tool to explore new concepts through visually rich approach and hands-on student engagement activities. And as a picture says a thousand words, they also can express themselves creatively in yet another manner. The Collaborate Board invites all students to the virtual table to exchange ideas. Students write their thoughts and ideas into a virtual bulletin board using text or rich media for everyone to see. This activity promotes the best of peer-to-peer learning as well.

5. Student choice

Now, onto the second part of that phrase: student choice. As part of their burgeoning independence, students are more actively engaged in their learning environment when they have a choice in what they are learning, how they are learning, and when they are learning. Such successful child-led learning opportunities help students develop in a safe environment. Student engagement will be at an all-time high as they explore, interact, inquire, and progress toward mastery. Maria Montessori wrote about the importance of this sense of agency and ownership in the 1800s.

The greatest sign of success for a teacher … is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist

Maria Montessori

Nearpod’s thousands of pre-lessons allow teachers to tap into students’ various interests, as they can share various resources with different kids. A student can take a deeper dive into a topic by embarking on a Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trip or engaging in an Interactive Video. With their eyes on the real-time data, teachers can support students to work independently in the moment and progress at their own pace. This academic and emotional engagement will encourage them to be proud of their independent growth resulting in student success.

6. Differentiation

As part of a teacher’s quest to personalize and individualize instruction for students, they often showcase their artistry by modifying a lesson to meet the various needs within their classroom. Teachers can differentiate instruction through lessons by modifying the steps, amassing a variety of supporting resources, and appealing to various learning styles. Such differentiation will help increase student engagement by hooking their interest and appealing to their strengths in various ways.

With Nearpod, teachers can distribute a variety of resources to various children throughout a lesson. They can encourage students to personalize their Student Notes to help reframe a concept or further illustrate it. Teachers can also take an existing lesson, duplicate it, and modify it in several different ways, thus ending up with a variety of student engagement activities or lessons that take different paths to achieving similar learning objectives. Use Student-Paced mode to have students do independent or small group work.

Boost student engagement with Nearpod

Capturing students’ attention is paramount across all types of engagement strategies. Educators forever grapple with how to increase student engagement—it can be a daily pursuit if not a challenge. Those beloved teachers are often revered because they took the time to invest in students individually. They showed respect to their students by figuring out how to address their learning needs best and make them engaged in their own learning. A teacher’s craft truly is part science and part artistry!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these resources, interactive activities, and engaging lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 6 Strategies to elevate student engagement in the classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Active learning is the process of having students regularly assess their own understanding and skill. This means students are attaining knowledge by participating and contributing. Learning involves the active construction of meaning by the learner. Learners construct meaning from their foundational prior knowledge and the new information they acquire. (Dewey)

Many teaching methods promote active learning in the classroom. These include: 

• collaborative learning
• cooperative learning
• problem-based learning
• discovery-based learning
• inquiry-based learning
• case-based learning
• project-based learning
• exploratory learning 
• experiential learning

You might see everyday classroom examples of this in teachers’ action verbs in their learning objectives or in a kinesthetic activity that has students in a science class figure out what molecules look like in a liquid or gas. Active learning strategies are tied to constructivist and constructionist learning theories in all these cases. The ultimate goal is for students to play a participatory role in—and take ownership of—their own learning.

What does active learning look like?

Active learning in the classroom transforms students’ educational experiences and improves academic outcomes.

In the classroom, active learning techniques require a student’s direct engagement, whether physically or mentally, but ideally both. Consider an analogous scenario: television. Watching TV is often a passive activity, with viewers literally sitting and consuming content silently. Yet some educational television shows like Dora the Explorer are designed to get kids to be active viewers. They move and jump, answer questions, talk, and sing with the characters on the screen. This is what makes these shows effective: viewers are doing more than just watching–they’re active.

How can we encourage students to be enthusiastic and actively engaged learners in our classrooms? This is the ever-present challenge for educators! With tech tools like Nearpod, teachers can add interactivity to their instruction, spark collaboration, and engage students mentally and physically.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

5 Impactful active learning strategies for the classroom

1. Use various activity types throughout a lesson

Students learn by doing and engaging their minds and bodies in active learning in the classroom. Varying the activity types used throughout a lesson can prompt students to take on the onus of thinking, working, and doing. It promotes intrinsic motivation so students take agency over their learning journeys.

As teachers, we aim for students to take participatory roles, which commonly involve movement, whether that’s picking up a pencil, raising a hand, or constructing a model. With Nearpod, teachers can offer a mix of question-and-answer formats from Matching Pairs, Drag and Drop, Time to Climb, and Draw It, just to name a few.

One of John Dewey’s goals in education was to create involved democratic citizens. Various assessments and interactive activities often promote peer-to-peer learning, which bolsters communication and collaboration skills. Plus, students grow by teaching others—opportunities for students to explain their thinking become a powerful check for understanding. Getting kids out of their seats to engage in paired or small group discussions, putting their heads together for problem-solving, or moving about with role-playing are examples of active learning in the classroom.

2. Activate students’ prior knowledge

A common practice in instructional design is to start each lesson with an activity meant to activate prior knowledge. Such activities include bellwork, sponge activities, and anticipatory sets. Regardless of the activity name, the goal is to better understand what the child already knows about the topic at hand and to have the student connect what they are about to learn to what they’ve learned previously. Prior knowledge can be information developed and retained through earlier classroom course material or based on personal experience outside of the classroom. Prior knowledge can differ vastly, so it is important for teachers to have a pulse on their students’ range of understanding before diving into a new lesson.

One way to spark prior knowledge is to appeal to varied learning styles with the use of multimedia. When it comes to a new topic, how can you remind students to think of what they have seen, heard, or touched before? Nearpod makes it possible for teachers to not only weave multimedia throughout their lessons but to do so in a way that invites interactivity. Try using a media-rich Poll or a Collaborate Board at the start of a lesson. When exploring how to engage students in active learning, consider using such tools and techniques into a student’s prior knowledge, making connections between what they’ve learned and know already to what they are learning now.

3. Metacognitive reflections

Personal connections to learning don’t have to occur only at the start of lessons. At the end of any lesson, we want students to reflect on what they’ve learned. Learners construct meaning from their foundational prior knowledge and then scaffold the new information they acquire, connecting the old to the new. Many teachers use exit tickets as a quick metacognitive reflection opportunity. A simple yet effective construct for such metacognitive reflections is K-W-L: What did they already KNOW, what did they WANT to know more about, and what did they LEARN?

Add a K-W-L Chart to a Draw It activity or include a Poll for implementing active learning in the classroom around a new topic. Metacognitive reflections encourage students to identify and challenge their assumptions and perspectives and create a more dynamic (and often collaborative) learning experience. Students become agents in their learning process, summarizing their main takeaways, identifying their struggles, and questioning what they want to learn more about next.

4. Make traditionally passive learning moments active

As educators, we’re always challenging students to move from lower-order thinking skills to those denoted as higher-order thinking skills in Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Frameworks like the Padagogy Wheel suggest active verbs to strengthen learning objectives and align varied activities to reach such outcomes. With the influx of technologies and shift in philosophies, teachers’ roles have moved from the “sage on the stage” lecturing (passive learning) to more of a “guide on the side” that encourages students to engage in learning.

Nearpod’s ready-made lessons align with Mayer’s theory that effective active learning methods engage learners in at least one of three cognitive processes: selecting material to attend to, organizing material mentally into meaningful representations, and integrating those representations with prior knowledge. For instance, Nearpod lessons provide a “critical frame” to guide students as they read text or watch media. The media is followed up immediately with a prompt for them to reflect on and respond to. With ready-made Interactive Videos, interactive questions at key moments allow viewers to pause, think critically, and share their ideas.

“Ownership in the classroom matters. It’s not only how the brain learns best—by trying out new skills and wrestling with new knowledge and experiences ourselves, rather than just receiving information—but it’s also how students build the confidence to take on new challenges. When students are asked to try in school, when they are asked to push their thinking even when they’re stuck, to explain why they’ve arrived at an answer, to help a classmate, they also have the chance to stretch their sense of their own capabilities and see themselves grow.”

The New Teachers Project, The Opportunity Myth

 5. Spark connections through discussion

Classroom discussions also help students realize that their learning doesn’t occur in isolation. Such aha moments often happen through meaningful social interactions with teachers and peers alike. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory emphasizes the role of society and culture in learning outcomes and how it occurs first through interaction with others.

Nearpod activities spark peer-to-peer conversations, think-pair-share opportunties, and small-group deliberation to leverage the social dynamics of learning. Collaborate Boards and Polls can promote class discussions, highlight anonymous answers/responses from peers for analysis, and encourage collaboration that can continue “offline.” With Nearpod, meaningful discussion underscores diverse perspectives, encourages opinion-taking, and encourages active listening and probing questioning. Today’s 21st-century skills center on the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, creation, and critical thinking (P21 (now part of Battelle for Kids)).

Create effective instructional experiences with Nearpod

No teacher wants passive, disengaged students in their classrooms. We aspire to tease out the curious learner and to show them how personally satisfying a learning experience can be. We’re the tapestry weavers making those cross-curricular connections and showing how what’s attained during instruction has real-world significance and application. In doing so, the key benefit of active learning in the classroom is that students become agents of their own learning pursuits.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 5 Impactful active learning strategies for the classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Effective instructional strategies go beyond those daily teacher-centric tips and tricks. They are those tried-and-true methodologies that help you, as an educator, reach your teaching and learning goals throughout the school year. When it comes to instructional design, teachers infuse their lesson plans with effective instructional strategies. Many such learning strategies are steeped in research from educational psychologists, philosophers, and researchers such as Piaget, Freire, Dewey, and Papert (just to name a few!).

What are the characteristics of effective and efficient instructional tools?

Meaningful learning experiences motivate students to dive deeper, explore further, and make personal connections. When it comes to personalized or individualized learning, technologies such as Nearpod support teachers in tailoring and targeting learning activities for each and every student. Such experiences put the students in the driver’s seat and give them a sense of agency to become lifelong learners.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

7 Essential strategies for designing effective instruction

1. Student engagement

Student engagement is one of those ubiquitous phrases that educators use to speak about their goals for teaching and learning. What is student engagement? It’s that rapt attention that teachers strive for—students leaning forward in their seats, participating with thoughtful questions and meaningful dialogue, eyes bright with those epitomized lightbulb moments, jumping over one another with their curiosity piqued.

Children are naturally curious; just think of a toddler’s persistent question, “Why?” Educators try to nurture this sense of curiosity into a pursuit of lifelong learning by designing effective exploratory or experiential instruction. Often teachers strive to provide hands-on activities to literally let kids get their hands dirty in the process of learning. Such kinesthetic and tactile tasks improve muscle memory, increase energy, and nurture cognitive and emotional development.

Another way to support student engagement is ensuring lessons have clear and authentic real-world connections. By showcasing how skills apply to everyday life or with career goals in mind, students are more likely to embrace instances of practice. Constructivist Bruner lauded the process of student-centered discovery, and Papert celebrated constructionism to provide children with meaningful challenges they’d be excited to tackle.

Nearpod offers a treasure chest of interactive activities specifically designed to champion to engage students. From engaging educational games like Time to Climb to Interactive Videos and immersive Draw It activities, Nearpod transforms learning into an exciting journey, challenging and motivating students along the way. Nearpod effectively brings abstract concepts to life, fostering students’ active participation and turning the traditional classroom into a dynamic, student-centered discovery hub.

2. Active learning

Active learning involves all facilities. It underscores that learners aren’t just consuming but creating, making connections, and building upon prior knowledge. It asks that students do the heavy lifting and thinking in a lesson. Piaget claimed students aren’t just “empty vessels” waiting to be filled. Freire warned against the banking method of education in which students are treated as passive receptors, thus limiting their creative and critical thinking.

Active learning transforms students’ educational experiences and improves academic outcomes. For students of all ages, active learning practices lean quite a bit on activities that pull in kinesthetic movements to encourage students to hone multiple learning styles as they digest and retain new information. Such participatory roles promote active learning across the curriculum.

Nearpod creates active learning environments where every student participates, increasing engagement and challenging students through interactive features that puts them at the center of learning. Interactive features, such as Polls, Open-Ended Questions, and Collaborate Boards, can be one of the most effective instructional practices to spark students’ prior knowledge at the beginning of a lesson or for metacognitive reflections to assess what students learned by the end.

3. Collaborative learning

Collaborative learning brings students together in a joint venture to search for understanding or meaning. This framework of effective instruction is a great way to promote a community of learners as well. Students take a more active and participatory role when they’re engaging in peer-to-peer learning. And today’s technologies allow students to “discuss” while leaning in on their preferred learning styles.

VAK (Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic) is a common way educators begin to address where a child’s strengths lie when it comes to processing and retaining new knowledge. With collaborative learning, students develop and lean on one another’s strengths, benefit from their varied perspectives, and challenge each other for problem solving and deconstructing a problem differently.

Collaborative learning and building connections are of paramount importance in creating active learning experiences. Nearpod provides multiple opportunities for teachers and students to collaborate and build connections. Collaborate Board enables students to work together in a shared digital space and share their thoughts via text, images, audio, video, and ever-so-popular GIFs. Teachers can hear from every student by having them use multiple formats to develop their ideas further. This fosters teamwork and cooperation and builds communication skills among students and teachers, creating a collaborative learning environment.

Our digital world (inside and outside of the classroom) challenges how we need to learn and refine our social and interpersonal skills when communicating and collaborating with one another. Nearpod’s interactive lessons and activities prepare students to use technology effectively, safely, and appropriately, all while building positive and empowering school climates. Nearpod’s social and emotional learning (SEL) activities and lessons highlight these core life skills.

4. School culture

A positive classroom and school culture are crucial to creating a welcoming and supportive environment inclusive for all students and their families. It’s helpful to set and share expectations at the beginning of the school year to emphasize what your goals are for your students. Level setting with such shared routines and procedures can help create a cohesive climate.

Invite all stakeholders to have an active role in your classroom. Encourage all stakeholders to model leadership with positive behavior and a can-do attitude or growth mindset. By focusing on forming authentic and caring relationships, you can motivate students on their learning journeys. And don’t forget to celebrate the daily small and big wins! With such dedication, schools can actualize a student-centered vision for all and implement effective instructional strategies.

Nearpod plays a significant role in connecting and building school and classroom culture through its various features and functionalities. Nearpod allows educators to see every student and create active learning experiences where every student participates through:

• Interactive lessons, videos, activities, and formative assessments 
• Dynamic media and gamification activities like Time to Climb
• Collaborate Boards that build connections through class discussions

5. Formative assessment

Formative assessment can help guide an educator on how best to keep each student on a personalized learning path. Such techniques—whether it is a simple thumbs up/thumbs down, a poll, an exit ticket, or a quiz—provide teachers with a plethora of data, allowing them to take a data-driven approach to designing meaningful learning experiences. Teachers can use this intel to monitor students and modify the next steps in instruction.

Does a lesson need to be revisited? Does the content need to be modeled in a different manner? How can you take students from comprehension to mastery? Data can range from active participation to a test score. Educators can look for patterns to best understand how individuals and small groups are progressing against learning objectives and goals. Formative assessment is a continuous process and bolsters designing elements of effective instruction.

With nine types of formative assessment tools within Nearpod, teachers can design interactive lessons that promote engagement and progress.

6. Real-time insights

Today’s technologies allow us to economize gathering student data across the curriculum so we can analyze and glean insights in real-time. Data can be visualized in many ways, making it easier for teachers to digest and act upon the insights effectively.

Teachers can monitor student progress more readily and provide immediate feedback when the child has a question or meets an obstacle. The value of immediate feedback is immense—students feel more self-aware, motivated, and confident. Such constructive feedback can thwart bad habits or misinformation from being further cemented. This feedback cycle encourages students to reflect more on their learning journey and rely on internal and external feedback.

Nearpod empowers teachers to effectively measure student understanding in real-time, enabling them to make instructional decisions at the moment. Having access to real-time insights, teachers can make more informed instructional decisions and visualize learning in various ways to drive instruction.

Nearpod keeps students and the learning process at the forefront of every class through:

• Formative assessments that provide real-time insights to guide instruction
• Post-session reports informing your next lesson
• Tool and content to scaffold instruction and meet students where they are

7. Differentiation

Meeting a child where they often mean a teacher has to be ready to differentiate instruction for lessons, whether that be to modify a particular activity to support a student better or add a layer of complexity to challenge another further. By understanding your students’ diverse learning needs, you can individualize your lesson plans to ensure immediate feedback, varied instances of practice, and increased engagement.

Similarly, schools often face a challenge of amassing and providing a rich diversity of resources for an equally diverse set of students. Educators seek to deliver high-interest resources so kids can go beyond the old adage of amassing knowledge that is a mile wide and an inch deep. Instead, they grow their depth of knowledge and expand their interests. Such resources encourage teachers to design effective instructional strategies and differentiate learning experiences so students have options and various ways to meet learning objectives through different paths and channels.

Nearpod’s quality content library plays a crucial role in supporting differentiation in the classroom. With over 22,000+ standards-based interactive lessons, activities, and videos, Nearpod gives educators the flexibility to meet students where they are in their learning journey. Teachers can easily tailor their instruction by selecting materials catering to different learning styles, abilities, and interests. Whether it’s providing additional challenges for advanced learners or offering extra support for struggling students, this content library lets teachers create personalized and engaging learning experiences that cater to the unique needs of each student.

Design effective instruction with Nearpod

Having these seven essential strategies as habits of mind when engaging in effective instructional planning will result in more dynamic classroom interactions. When it comes to personalized or individualized learning, technologies such as Nearpod support teachers in tailoring and targeting learning activities for each and every student. Nearpod’s all-in-one platform aids and supports teachers and students alike. From interactive lessons and videos to real-time student data, such experiences put the students in the driver’s seat and give them a sense of agency to become lifelong learners.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 7 Essential strategies for designing effective instruction appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Oh, how quickly I realized the ever-dynamic aspect of classroom teaching and learning. A couple of decades later, I’m still not convinced that any stellar teacher prep program can do the field of education justice. The sheer amount of variables that a classroom of unique individuals brings with them makes for an awe-inspiring journey, year over year. Explore essential tips and invaluable advice for new teachers embarking on their exciting journey in education!

Nearpod can support you in creating interactive lessons, accessing standards-aligned lessons, keeping students engaged, and tracking real-time insights into student learning. Teachers can sign up for Nearpod below for free. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

However, I think true educators embrace this challenge. They revel in the variety. That’s when their artistry truly shines within the classroom’s four walls. But I do wish I had had a “cheat sheet” of tips for first year teachers — just a list of gentle reminders and teacher-inspired hacks to help the days go a bit more smoothly and to help me maintain my own sanity. As a first year teacher, I found myself the neediest student in my classroom! Boy, was I eager to learn.

I had come armed with lofty goals of asking for help, watching others teach, and aspiring to over plan… but I never had the time as a new teacher. From when the door first opened on that initial day of school until the end of the school year, I was in go-mode. What I wish I had known were all those more practical advice for new teachers that I did amass over time with experience.

Join us for Camp Engage: Back to School on July 25-27th!

Save your spot now for Camp Engage, a FREE virtual PD event designed to help you make the most of the upcoming school year and find creative ways to engage your students.

This unique opportunity allows educators to earn professional education credits while exploring cutting-edge teaching techniques and tools. Explore over 30 virtual and on-demand sessions led by renowned experts to gain insights to elevate your teaching practices.

Advice for new teachers: 22 Tips for teaching first year

I’ve listed twenty such tips of my own to get this valuable cheat sheet started for first year teachers:

1. Set clear expectations with students

Set clear expectations first thing and reinforce them often during the first month of school. Emphasize processes and routines, and follow through on expectations and consequences consistently. Remember, it’s easier to pull back and be less strict than it is to become more strict when it comes to classroom management.

What’s your signal to get your students’ attention? I use the doorbell. Practice the routines and procedures all year long, not just at the beginning of the year. Teach your students ways to find a solution to their problems… I teach the students that there are kid problems and kid solutions and grownup problems and grownup solutions.

Elizabeth Torres Maldonado, PioNear

2. Write and create your planbook digitally

So many unexpected hiccups can derail your best-laid plans, so design with flexibility top of your mind and an eraser in hand. Writing plans on mini sticky notes is also helpful.

Consider making your planbook digital as well, so it’s always easy to organize, edit, sort, and search for the resources you need.

3. Make #besties

Establish strong relationships early on with the front office assistants and the custodians, as you will need them in your court countless times week in and week out (if not daily). They have eyes and ears on all aspects of the school community, and they will be your go-to ally in many instances, promise.

Give yourself the gift of not having to know everything. Don’t be afraid ask ask ask questions of veteran teachers you trust. PLUS, the office manager and the custodian can save you, make friends with them!

James Staton, PioNear

4. Google (image) it

Search online for “teacher hacks” when it comes to classroom organization and advice for new teachers and then click on the Images tab. You’ll be surprised at the ingenious ways teachers use shoe bags for craft supplies and dish racks to organize technology.

5. Keep your space clean

A dustbuster, a Mr. Clean Eraser, and a fragrant plug-in will keep your classroom in tip-top shape on a day-to-day basis. However, please keep allergens in mind when it comes to fragrances! Remember to check school policies before introducing any scented products.

6. Ask questions!

Best PD might be right down the hallway. Don’t be afraid to ask your fellow teachers for feedback or help when you need it or when you feel overwhelmed. They won’t think less of you! And, all the teachers I’ve worked with have always bent over backward to help if I asked for it.

Brittanie Payne, PioNear

There are no stupid questions, only answers. No matter who asks, the teacher or the student.

Martina Matejas, PioNear

7. Get organized digitally and traditionally

Organize one master copy of your printed materials — lessons, worksheets, and resources — in plastic sleeves. Put those sleeves in sequential order, pair them with lesson plans and notes, and group them thematically in labeled binders that can be on a shelf within reach.

Better yet, get digitally organized, and get rid of the paper clutter by compiling you files into folders. That way you can always easily edit your resources and search where to find them. You can also organize your digital Nearpod lessons by creating lesson folders and organizing them by name and color codes.

8. Paper, please!

Consider ways to cut back on paper use and save that tree by using digital alternatives on Nearpod such as Draw It, Drag and Drop, and more to support classroom activities and collaboration.

You can also seek out local companies to donate, put in requests with DonorsChoose.org, or ask your classroom families to contribute, but you will go through a lot of paper in any given school year, and the worst is having plans but then running out of paper for copies.

9. Color counts

Regardless of your students’ ages, go all out in decorating and covering classroom walls with colorful learning resources and rotating student work. You all spend hours in your room, so treat it like a second home that you all want to take care of.

10. Don’t pick at it

A staple remover will save your fingers and fingernails! This handy dandy little plastic contraption will be your new best friend. Invest in more than one sense those little guys can easily be misplaced or lost.

11. Remember to hang tough

Invest in several rolls of blue or green painter’s tape instead of masking tape to adhere student work to the walls. Regularly change out so kids can see their hard work appreciated. However, when true staying power is needed, especially on those concrete classroom walls, turn to ever-impressive duct tape.

12. Don’t go red

Vary the colors of the pens you use when reviewing work so that kids don’t associate being wrong with color. Create a robust feedback loop by considering other ways to provide feedback besides with a pen, like video feedback or a face-to-face conference. Cultivate the mindset of “failing forward,” and remember that a sticker (for all ages) goes a long way when it comes to recognition!

13. Try out different ways to channel students’ attention

Research ways to help channel children’s attention — put a strip of velcro under desks for some tactile stimulation, add a red card to the corner of desks for focus, use exercise balls instead of chairs, and practice group breathing exercises to help kids embrace mindfulness.

14. Play music

Discover what kinds of music your students like as background noise, which can help drown out other distracting classroom noises while everyone works. Look for playlists on Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Prime Music, or other streaming sources, or simply make your own and play from any digital device. Music can help calm anxiety, soothe feelings, and lift moods. Consider using Flocabulary videos as well between transitioning to different activities and units.

15. Build meaningful relationships with students

Sounds simple enough, but do find the time to get to know your students on a personal level. Have them fill out a questionnaire, conduct mini-conferences, and reach out to their families continuously throughout the year to establish an authentic relationship. You can use Nearpod’s Polls or Collaborate Board to conduct questionnaires and collect feedback for active learning experiences. Weave in social and emotional learning (SEL) moments with your students in your daily instruction to reinforce relationship building. 

Relationships matter! Get to know the ins and outs of your students and their families! Making those connections from the start will make for a successful school year and carry you through the thick and thin! It’s as simple as knowing your student’s favorite sports team or what they enjoy doing on the weekend. Those little things go a long way!

Caitlin Arakawa, PioNear

16. Stick to a routine

Your students will thrive with it, your families will appreciate it, your administration will expect it, and don’t worry — there’s enough good daily drama within classrooms that your day will never be boring!

17. Plan for the unexpected

Have a sub folder ready to go with the practical notes about your students and their schedules, plus a host of turnkey activities that a substitute teacher can use in your absence; especially for those unplanned ones.

We’ve compiled a list of tips to make sub teacher plans a smoother experience for classroom teachers, substitute teachers, and students.

18. Leave it behind

Don’t bring (too much) work home with you. Teachers’ prep and grading work is never done, so do try to set strict limits so that you have a balanced work-home life.

19. Design your own PD

In this day and age, seek out recommended ways to hone your craft. Consider reading the Wong’s tried-and-true handbook, The First Days of School: How to Be An Effective Teacher. Discover the many free options such as listening to educator podcasts, subscribing to blogs, registering for webinars, or taking an online course.

Friendly reminder to register for Camp Engage, Nearpod’s free virtual professional development for educators! Camp Engage happens several times a year – around February, July, and November.

20. Provide alternative ways to communicate

Giving out your phone number may be a controversial tip, but I relied on my phone both as a way for students to reach me so that they were never left with unanswered questions and so that I could simply connect with their caregivers to share a good story.

You can also use a parent communication app like Remind or ClassDojo. You can also create a Google Phone number that you can discontinue at any time.

I would suggest seeing if there’s one that is commonly used in your building that the parents are used to, in addition to seeing which platform offers the best options that you’d like it to do.

Jennifer Wentworth, PioNear

21. Give yourself bathroom breaks

Another good tip would be “never give up an opportunity to go to the bathroom!” I can’t tell you how helpful that has been.

Jennifer Wentworth, PioNear

22. Don’t reinvent the wheel

Share your great ideas so your colleagues will be willing to too, but remember what a treasure trove Pinterest is — so much inspiration can be found for creative activities in a single photo. You can also explore Nearpod tips and ideas from teachers all over the world by joining our Educator Facebook Group and following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

And breathe!

Accept that you will make mistakes, veteran teachers do too. Learn from them and move on.

Anne Ruifrok Walker, PioNear

Start using Nearpod in your classroom

Take care of yourself and have patience as you learn and grow as a professional. I learned as much, if not more, in Year 2 than in Year 1, so stay open to being that lifelong learner that we’re all trying to inspire in our students. Now, we’re looking to you all to help this school year’s cadre of first year teachers maintain their optimism, face challenges head-on, and rise to the ranks of “veteran teacher” (not sure I’ve made it yet!).

Nearpod can support you in creating interactive lessons, accessing standards-aligned lessons, keeping students engaged, and tracking real-time insights into student learning. Teachers can sign up for Nearpod below for free. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Darri Stephens

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

The post 22 Tips I wish I’d known as a first year teacher appeared first on Nearpod Blog.