Ralph Ortiz's Blog: Connect with Students: Getting and Staying In Touch with Every Student

An Every Classroom Matters Episode

How can we connect with our students every single day? Teacher Jennie Magiera reflects honestly about how she killed creativity but brought it back from the dead. She shares how a simple Google form changed everything about the relationship with her students. Her insights about kids working below grade level are helpful to every teacher who struggles to reach them. A White House Champion for Change, you’ll be inspired to connect with your students in new ways after listening to this episode.

Important Takeaways

How a mood check-in gave Jennie a “qualitative shift” in her relationship with her students. (BYOD schools take note)
5 Ideas for how to do mood check-ins (even without technology)
How Jennie pursued Ken Robinson’s dream to move towards creativity only to realize she had “broken” her students
How to empower and engage kids who are far below grade level.
How to help kids want to learn.

Educator Resources

Creating Mood Check Ins with Google Forms [VIDEO]
Power to the Pupil – Jennie’s TEDx Talk
Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk on Creativity
Jennie Magiera’s Keynote on Wes Fryer’s Podcast
@msmageira

Quotes

How can we allow for all students to have access to powerful and transformational opportunities? @MsMagiera

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Every child deserves a world-class education. @coolcatteacher #edreform

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We need to give our students more choice and voice. @MsMagiera

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“I realized I had essentially broken my students. They were looking for rubrics and checklists. I had robbed them of their ability to make choices. They didn’t feel comfortable anymore, they were so reliant on me. I had to undo that overscaffolding and show them how to be their own educational agents of change on their own educational journey.” Jennie Magiera