When asked, “if you could have any superpower, what would it be?” most people give standard answers: reading minds, invisibility, flying, etc. At Mandela, the teachers and paras already have one: motivation. The Mandela team are experts when it comes to motivating scholars to be their absolute best, and that did not change during virtual learning.
One fourth-grade teacher, Callie Burks, used assignment boards to keep her scholars organized. Each scholar had their own cardboard trifold, which was colorfully decorated with schedules, pockets for assignments, login codes and anything else they would need to be successful. Having these boards gave the scholars a sense of control and ownership over their learning—something undeniably important in such a chaotic world.
In a first-grade classroom, paraprofessional Bailey Shirley incorporated a kindness wall into their social studies lessons. She explains, “We are trying to fill the wall with hearts. The hearts represent any kind thing they have done at home or in the community. The scholars love doing this, and it also encourages them all to try something that is kind.” The wall was a positive way to keep scholars excited about their lessons and improve the community.
In this same classroom, Tracy Jones, teacher, and Bajah Pittman, student teacher, came up with a point-reward system in which scholars earned stars for good behavior (following directions, not leaving the screen without permission, etc.). Scholars had the opportunity to earn these stars throughout the day for each subject. They earned a home visit when they reached a certain number of stars. Masked up, outside, and socially distanced, scholars got to see their teachers in person and choose a prize.
Virtual learning has been a challenge for educators around the world, and The Mandela team has done a fantastic job of making the best of the situation and keeping scholars motivated and engaged to learn.