In this episode Kirsten Myers Blake shares ways to build virtual classroom communities and workshops. After jumping into virtual instruction last spring, Kirsten realized that what her students needed the most was for her to “love hard” and to maintain the rituals and routines of her brick n’ mortar classroom. This year Kirsten will be a teacher in her district’s Virtual Learning Academy and will be teaching virtually for the entire school year. Her and Michelle Morris Jones discuss concrete ways to build classroom community that fosters agency, equity and understanding in a virtual environment. Kirsten shares her best ideas for connecting with students and families as the school year begins. In addition, Kirsten applies her understanding of the workshop model to her virtual instruction and shares insights into how she will continue to leverage the workshop model to support her students as thinkers. Kirsten Myers Blake is a career educator who loves teaching, coaching, reading, tiny dogs, and her family. Kirsten has taught elementary and middle school and has her Masters Degree from the Teachers College at Columbia University. She currently teaches in Denver, Colorado, serves as a PEBC Lab Host and Staff Developer, and shares her work via blogs, videos, and presentations.
