Remote Learning Tips & Tricks: Prime Students for Returning to School During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A new school year can be stressful for many students, especially when there is a change in location or teachers. Adding the additional stress of the COVID-19 requires a great deal of priming to prepare students for what to expect. Today’s Remote Learning Tips and Tricks will give teachers ideas on how to Prime Students for Returning to School During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

Video Priming

Video priming is an evidenced based practice for students on the spectrum, but can be beneficial for any student who experiences anxiety with change. It involves taking short video clips or a slide show of pictures that the student can view prior to a new event. Video priming is an effective strategy for the following reasons:

• Visual input (show me) is more effective than just auditory input (tell me)
• The video allows the instructor to focus on what is important
• A video can be viewed at a time or place that is best for the learner
• A video can provide a virtual experience without the anxiety of real-time interactions
• A video can be paused an replayed as needed by the learner
• A video can include audio so your students can become familiar with key voices along with the new faces

Using Video Priming to Build Relationships

How do you prime a student for the year when you don’t know what it is going to look like? The start of the 2020-2021 school year has been an unusual year as districts are trying to determine the best plan during a global pandemic. Many districts are starting the year with remote instruction only, while others are trying a safe, in-person, or hybrid approach. Things can quickly change based on the impact of the coronavirus.

At this time, if you have new students, the best thing you can do is develop a positive and trusting relationship with students. While you may not be able to familiarize the student with a routine, you can create videos that will allow your students to get to know you. This is also a great opportunity for them to see what their teacher looks like without a mask!

Create a short video that allows you to interact with your students. Consider the following:

• Read a story
• Sing a song
• Talk about something that is a special interests of the students (i.e. animals, video games)
• Talk about a popular movie or TV show you know the student enjoys
• Make the video engaging by using visual supports, gestures and lively intonation
• Ask other staff members (paraprofessionals, principal, specials teachers, related service providers) to create videos introducing themselves as well
• Invite the student to participate by asking question/opinions and pausing for an answer like the example below:

For a how-to on making a virtual Meet the Teacher video check out this tutorial:

Using Video Priming for Remote Learning

For remote learning, use screen recording options (such as Loom) to create priming videos that walk students through expectations such as joining virtual meetings, interacting with frequently assigned website activities, or how to access Google Classroom. We love this great tutorial for students and parents:

 

Using Video Priming for In-Person Learning

For more information on creating videos to prime students for traditional in-person learning environments, visit our previous post below:

Transitions Made Easy with Video Priming

In addition to creating videos to help your students get to know you and the learning environment, you can create videos that model expectations. You may be able to find demonstration videos online but only use videos that show students doing what you desire.  For instance, in the first example below (Be safe at Preschool), the students are not wearing shoes. If this is not an expectation for your classroom, this may not be a good priming video to use with your students.

Be safe at Preschool

Greet from Six Feet Apart by Jack Hartman 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hygiene Etiquette for Kids

Also keep in mind that the most important thing you can do for your students now is to help them feel calm. So much uncertainty increases anxiety so help your students reduce stress through talking about things that are certain and by teaching them calming strategies.

Here is a video that talks about balancing the certainty with the uncertainty:

Options for Priming Without Video

If a student does not have technology to view videos at home, you can make picture books and social stories. There are many free social stories available online but be sure the story is appropriate for the age/level and that it accurately presents what the expectations are for your students.

Click the image below to access an example social story to prime younger students for riding the bus:

Click the image below for an example Coronavirus social story written for older students/adults 

Priming students for what you know is certain and developing a positive relationship with them will build a foundation for success as the expectations for the school year evolve and you are able to create some predictability.

Transitions Made Easy With Video Priming

Spring is the time to consider students who will be transitioning to a new classroom or building in the fall. Transitions can create extreme anxiety for some students as they anticipate unfamiliar people, places and routines.  Video priming is an evidenced based practice that can be used to ease the transition process  A virtual tour can be created by recording video of the unfamiliar location. Viewing the video repeatedly in a safe environment, allows the student to become familiar with the new location. This will help to reduce anxiety and allow for a more positive transition.

Tips for creating a video for priming:

1. Get parent permission for any students included in the video.
2. Use a tablet or smartphone to easily collect video. It is best to hold the device horizontally.
3. Take photos and video clips from the student’s perspective showing the key people and places they will see that first day of school.
4. Interview key people to familiarize the students with names, faces and voices.
5. If possible, identify the morning routine of where to enter the building and the sequence of expectations.  Having some predictability will also help reduce anxiety.
6. Use an app to edit the video directly on the device or transfer to a computer.
7. Create a video that is informative, yet not overwhelming. Keep it short (1-4 minutes).

The video can be shared with parents to allow viewing over the summer months.  A general video can be posted on the school website.  A video created for a specific student can be sent home on a DVD or thumb drive (USB) or shared using Drop Box, Google Drive or an unlisted YouTube link.

If your student is not interested in viewing the video, consider editing the video to incorporate special interest images that they can look for throughout the video. Remember to keep it short and simple! The goal is to help your student feel calm and encouraged…not more anxious and overwhelmed.

Not familiar with editing technology? Ask around, there are probably colleagues or students around who can help you.

Examples

Kindergarten- To help a preschooler transition to kindergarten, the kindergarten teacher presented her calendar time lesson using a book that was sent home over the summer.  The parents were encouraged to sit with their child to pause the video after each question allowing their child to respond to the teacher. This familiarized the child with the daily lesson and acquainted the child with the face and voice of the new teacher.

High School- Video and still shots of the school were combined to create a virtual tour. Although students were able to tour the building during a spring field trip, the video allowed the students to review the video as often as needed over the summer to feel a little more comfortable when they started high school in the fall.