First Week of Virtual Learning

This week has been a unique experience. I met my new set of 8th grade kids for the year and taught virtually from school after being home for months. There were a few technical issues during the week but nothing that would prevent me from teaching.

Originally I planned to teach my kids using a document camera but that planned failed since my kids couldn't hear any sound when my camera was connected. For a minute I was worried that it would be impossible to show my kids how to work problems online. Luckily I found out that my computer has a touch screen so I used a drawing pad to show students how to work with exponents this week. It was fun for the most part. 

If there is anything I have learned about myself this week it's that I enjoy solving technical problems when they come up. I guess it's the mathematician and engineer inside of me from college. Being able to think through a challenging situation to come up with a solution has always boosted my confidence.

 

This was also my first week where I spent 40 minutes with my homeroom doing social emotional learning. I don't have a lot of experience with any of the material but I have been planning my butt off to make it work. I have found it easier to build relationships this way with my homeroom too. I am still new to all of this but am open to other ideas on how to help kids navigate through their teenage years during this weird and difficult time. 

Also I figured out bitmoji so I am proud of myself for this.