Shifting Away From Ice Breakers: Returning to Classrooms Prioritizing Community Building, Joy, and Vulnerability

In these moments when we are being asked to isolate from one another, the opportunities to connect as members of school and classroom communities becomes even more imperative. In addition to connecting with our students on academics and sharing information, now, more than ever, we can make this shared experience be one that allows our students to see the humanity in one another. In this session we will talk about how, unlike an "ice breaker", community builders allow for a deeper sense of connection and make space for people to be more open and vulnerable, if they so wish. We will also talk about the importance of setting group norms prior to and creating space afterwards for a debrief during each activity. Participants will leave having had a deeper understanding of community building activities with students, and a chance to think about the application for their own virtual (and non-virtual) K-12 classrooms.