Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping. Some of our subscribers have already seen snow! Preparing for the winter semester is nothing new. We write back up lesson plans, incorporate extra time for snow days, and dream up indoor activities to keep students' minds and bodies engaged when it's too cold to go outside. This year, those plans are expanding to include more options for staying home, and increased learning from home. Today we've compiled some ideas for your Winter Ready checklist. Remember, you can reach out to your school care team any time you have questions. We're here to help!

Access, Access, Access

Resources are only useful if students can actually get to them. Ensure that all your students have working IDs. Check your ID Summary - the date in the file name indicates when it was last updated. If your attendance list has changed, let us know. Also, if you have a full building or district license, make sure your teachers all have accounts. Stories are a great way to enjoy a snow day!

Make Video Calls More Engaging

One tried and true trick of teaching is to engage your students with something that feels like fun, but actually encourages them to stay attentive. For this, we have two ideas.

Mug Messages

Raise your hand if you always have a mug of something to drink on your desk. ::Raises hand:: Start sticking a secret message to the bottom of your mug. So when you go to take a sip, your students see it. It can be as simple as a drawing, emoji, or a secret code. Ask students to share the secret code later for extra credit or something special. 

Who's Next

For those of you encouraging student participation, create a physical set of name cards - one for each student. Get your students started with show and tell, presenting, or reading passages and hold up the name of the next student so they have time to prepare. This will give students a heads up to check their microphone is set up properly, and can alleviate anxiety over being on camera.