Strengthening Learner Connections

We have spent so much time in Zoom rooms, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meets this past year. In some ways, it has been easier to find time in our crazy schedules to connect with colleagues, but what these connections have missed is a true sense of belonging.

We have not been able to simply walk down the hall and pop our head into a colleague's classroom. We're not able to grab a quick coffee together either before school or during a prep period or run into one another at the coffee machine or the staff lounge.

Instead, while we may be "connecting" in virtual and hybrid spaces, we're not really meeting in authentic ways. That's one of the things that we probably took the most for granted. We came to rely on one another, in a good way, not just for support with our professional craft, but for social emotional support as well.

This week I'm challenging you to make an authentic connection. Reach out to a colleague and schedule a virtual coffee. Schedule a virtual happy hour. Find time to text or talk in a way that doesn't involve strategizing around a budget or collaborating on a lesson plan. Run into each other in an authentic and meaningful way.

The reality is, we need each other - not just for support figuring out the best strategy or tool for our classroom or school, but we need support from one another as cheerleaders, motivators, and friends.

Tell me all about the authentic connections you are making with each other on social media at the @thelearningloop.

I can't wait to connect with you!