Harmony SEL is a social and emotional learning program for Pre-K-6 grade students, accessible online and at no cost. Read on for quick and humorous ice breakers and ice breaker questions to jump-start your next staff meeting. I have a few favorites below, and the full list of our professional icebreaker activities to warm up any meeting here. SEL Morning Meeting Slides for K-2; Emotional Awareness Book Companions – Printable & Digital; Free Social-Emotional Learning Pack & Calendar for Distance Learning. No matter what your goal is for your virtual meeting you won’t be able to accomplish it if people aren’t interacting with you and sharing with others. Share Your Personality. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) CASEL . 11 Fun Games to Play on Zoom That Will Amp up Your Next Virtual Party Whether you prefer trivia, Bingo, word games, or card games, there's a way to play online. People are burned out on zoom meetings. This helps break down barriers between remote team members and create a more open and connected environment. School leaders play a critical role in fostering schoolwide activities and policies that promote positive school environments, such as establishing a team to address the building climate; adult modeling of social and emotional competence; and developing clear norms, values, and expectations for students and staff members. Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. Below you will find free resources – lessons, activities, and printables – in the following skill areas: Communication, Cooperation, Emotion Regulation, Empathy, Impulse Control, and Social Initiation. Aug 15, 2017 - Being a remote worker need not be boring. Some video conferencing tools include breakout rooms as a feature, which is super … Because virtual scavenger hunts comprise photo or video submissions, the host can compile these photos or videos at the end of the game into a fun keepsake of the time your team had. 10 best team building activities for virtual teams. But many schools don’t know how to ensure that their social emotional learning activities are focusing on the right skills. Use the Circle process to build a sense of connection among students and staff by sharing moods, feelings, and moments of joy and pain. One way to increase energy and connection in virtual meetings is to start with a simple warm-up game. Use a random picture generator to get a picture, and the radio host has to explain how to draw the item on it. The previous 4 trust building activities were about how to increase reliability. The following 5 trust building activities are about how to increase likeability. Many people are interested in improving their EI, for a variety of reasons. With so much uncertainty in the world right now, SEL is a vital topic to address. In order to prime the exchange most virtual meeting hosts will tell you that you need to set the expectation for exchange early on. I have a few favorites below, and the full list of our professional icebreaker activities to warm up any meeting here. Virtual class meetings can still include a group activity, too. ... SEL in a Virtual Classroom. The first post was an overview of 9 virtual facilitation tips. 5. Below are some questions you can go through with your group, round-robin style, to have fun and learn more about each other. With more companies adopting flexible work-from-home policies, virtual meetings are quickly becoming a norm. This is a game that was created by the Surrealists in which you divide a piece of paper in three, and then three people must draw the head, torso and legs, respectively, without seeing what the person before them drew. https://www.quizbreaker.com/virtual-team-building-activities This opens in a new window. Provide 1-2 minutes of quiet time for each participant to jot down (or think about) their answer, then use one of the following three options: Ask for one volunteer from each ‘suit’ to stand and share their response. Before you say anything: No, we don’t mean the embarrassing types of activities, but rather actually fun, entertaining ones. For this ice breaker, everyone will be tasked with sharing one item from the room they are in, … Anxiety, by far, was the most frequently mentioned emotion. But use virtual icebreakers sparingly. Phone Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. 1-800-933-ASCD (2723) Address 1703 North Beauregard St. Alexandria, VA 22311-1714 ‘Take 5’ games (Introducing team building activities that take only 5 minutes of everyone’s time is doable for even the busiest of … Ask your staff to complete each of these three sentences: "Something I'm good at is ... " "An emotion I felt today … This post is #2 in a series I’ll be publishing on virtual meeting facilitation. Fun Virtual Team Building Activities. Just as you can intentionally infuse SEL into activities with kids, you can implement it as part of your regular meetings or trainings with staff. Do not comment between sharing. As the name suggests, emotional intelligence activities and exercises are attempts to build, develop, and maintain one’s emotional intelligence, often called EI or EQ for Emotional Quotient.. Welcome to our Social Emotional Learning Activities page. In a virtual setting, students are learning in very different conditions then they might be at home. SEL Lessons for the Virtual Classroom. Planning one event leaves the team wanting … Make the meeting brief so people can get back to work without losing too much time or productivity. Games are highly interactive, which is why they work so well both in the classroom and online. For someone in a fully remote team, at least you have the comfort of knowing all of your colleagues are also working from a home. The one question icebreaker at the start or end of a meeting is one of the easiest ways to get team members to know each other and connect. Traditional games such as Bingo, 20 questions, I Spy, and Categories all work very well with young children. Free SEL Activities and Practices (via Greater Good in Education) Free Workshop On Creating Kick-Ass Online Workshops (via The Flourishing Center) Managing Anxiety Around COVID-19: Tips for You and Your School Community (via Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence/RULER) Movement Apps, Games, and Websites (via CommonSense Media) CASEL’s resource book for planning welcoming/inclusion activities, engaging strategies, and optimistic closures for team meetings or class periods, online or in-person. Have everyone on your team fill out a personality test (here are some of our favorites), then get together and discuss. Social-emotional learning is critical to managing anxiety at this time, he said. Here are few morning meeting activities you can do to run engaged and productive meetings for all attendees: 1. Hence, a lot of our team activities are focused towards improving communication within your virtual meetings and to help them work together more effectively. Inevitably, the final drawing is a hoot. Use staff meetings or PLCs to create shared agreements around adult SEL while also prioritizing relationship building. The good news is that virtual team building exercises aren’t that difficult to organize and don't require a team meeting, providing that you have the right tools on hand. And they can help take the place of that water cooler or coffee convo that usually happens between co workers in a traditional office. One popular virtual team building activity of this type is Online Office Games. List of virtual team building activities. This is a game that was created by the Surrealists in which you divide a piece of paper in three, and then three people must draw the head, torso and legs, respectively, without seeing what the person before them drew. 3. Exquisite Corpse. Sanford Harmony's Toolkit Classroom discussions, stories, activities, and lessons for teaching understanding and empathy. The catch is, the host cannot name whatever is on the picture and use closely related words. Online Office Games is a form of “Office Olympics” that includes spirited challenges, virtual team games and activities. If you’re at home all day plugging away on the computer, how can it be fun? Before I even get started, while I was writing this post, I decided to also create a set […] The precondition for effective meetings — virtual or otherwise — is voluntary engagement. 3. Students imagine difficult situations and talk about strategies for making responsible, Here are two ways Aukeem Ballard, an HCC teacher, facilitates mindfulness: Practice social-emotional skill-building during staff trainings and meetings. Below are some questions you can go through with your group, round-robin style, to have fun and learn more about each other. (Ask everyone to bring in their favorite boards games, and spend Spirit Week playing them as a group.) What are Emotional Intelligence Activities and Exercises? This is where having a meeting leader comes in handy. Exquisite Corpse. 10 Kindness Lessons and Activities for Elementary School March 6, 2019 in Lesson Plans , Teaching Ideas Whether you’re celebrating a week-long kindness themed week at your school or you’re looking for kindness activities to complete with just your class, I’ve got you covered! A collection of SEL lessons for upper elementary students that can be adapted for online learning. Virtual team building ideas include several strategies, games and activities designed to bring more human interaction to virtual workers. Here, we’ve collected over 20 of the easiest and funnest ice breakers and ice breaker questions we’ve used in meetings. And remember to gear it to the content of your lesson or professional development activity for an even greater impact. References: Cleveland Metropolitan School District's Class Meeting Ring Book; SmartBrief They add laughter to an otherwise potentially scary experience.They bring increased feelings of alignment to your employees, and they will help you combat loneliness as everyone works remotely. Embed into existing staff meetings intentional opportunities for adults to connect personally, interact in meaningful ways, and share appreciations and reflections. Below are seven simple ideas from my new book where I discuss more than 75 team building activities for remote teams. Regardless if you are the team lead or an individual contributor, try one of the following activities in one of your next meetings. All the activities below require no preparation and take less than 10 minutes to run. Or, to really mix things up, one team can represent student affairs staff and the other can be academic staff, who all shock the system by working … ]. It is comprised of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. Reinvent Classic Activities into Virtual Versions. These components include an activity to Unite, an activity to Disengage Stress, an activity to Connect and an activity to Commit. Virtual teams can feel very lonely. We asked them to describe, in their own words, the three most frequent emotions they felt each day. When we think of educating the whole child, their social and emotional development must be considered as a part Best virtual icebreaker games for remote team meetings Creating a strong bond with your teammates builds better communication and trust. Check-in Circle for Community Building. Obviously, you will avoid games that require students to move around the classroom or trade places, but shared reading, counting around the (distanced) circle and phonological awareness games can still work fine. Optimistic Thinking. Develop Engaging Games And Activities For Virtual Meetings When creating a memorable virtual event with games and activities, consider the following tips: • Develop an … Optimistic Closure Ideas. - Welcoming/Inclusion Activities 10 - Engaging Strategies, Brain Breaks, and Transitions 19 ... run a staff meeting, ... using strong SEL skills. 65% of remote employees report that they have never had a team building session. Begin a daily morning meeting or build upon your own with this 100% editable and low-prep classroom meeting resource that targets important social-emotional learning topics. This guide is designed to share strategies educators can use to bridge emotional distance during remote learning. These include skills like empathy, self-control, and decision-making. Here are some of the opening, group sharing, and closing activities that teachers use at Summit: Opening Activities 1. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is one of the most promising frontiers in educational research. Instead of the usual 9 a.m. morning meeting, start your session at say 8:48 a.m. Having an unusual start time is useful in helping attendees remember a meeting time. This emotions & feelings SEL curriculum includes 5 detailed lessons filled with hands-on and mindful activities that encourage children to express their feelings in healthy and build important emotional awareness skills.. Pick any of the more strategic meetings with your staff. For your inspiration, we’ve put together this list of our favorite poll questions that you can use during your virtual meetings. We promise these will … 4 Weeks of SEL Lessons and Activities for Distance Learning. From conference call meetings to email agendas, virtual work teams must work together, though physically apart, to reach the goals. 6. They will help you get instant feedback from your online colleagues and reach your meeting objectives faster and more efficiently. ness activities that are designed to promote physical wellness, academic success and social-emotional health. One day each week, pair employees up randomly for a virtual coffee break for team building and mental health perks. It’s an exit ticket or a note-taking strategy to keep track of the main ideas during a lecture. Create protected time for staff to regularly collaborate with each other. Virtual icebreakers for remote meetings help you maintain a sense of cohesion with your group. Consider virtual “happy hour” or “campfire” meetings - If you can’t all gather for drinks in-person, consider hosting a Friday afternoon gathering online where virtual employees have a chance to get to relax together. perfect for: foodies and a hangry team. This can be a local “virtual pub” or “virtual wine bar”. 4) Play Virtual Games. After a team member reads all three, people chime in and guess which fact is actually a fib. Remote Welcoming Rituals - Austin ISD SEL Department by Aleza Berube | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for individual educators, schools and districts Get a glass of wine, beer … 65% of remote employees report that they have never had a team building session. TeamBonding’s virtual team building activities simulate a day in the life of a virtual team. From conference call meetings to email agendas, virtual work teams must work together, though physically apart, to reach the goals. Here are some of the games and activities our … 1. And if you want better meetings, you MUST send this article to your meeting planner. Centervention Lessons, activities, and printables in the following skill areas: communication, cooperation, emotion regulation, empathy, impulse control, and social initiation. Smart poll questions can make your virtual meetings more fun, engaging, and effective. Even if you don’t have a theme for your virtual meeting, these activities work well with remote teams and they’re a great way to get people in the right mindset before the meeting. Activities that work online include: These activities are great for longer meetings, or if you want to spend an afternoon or a few hours away from your desk. Virtual Teams: Great for phone and video conferencing; Want to keep it simple? Best virtual icebreaker games for remote team meetings Creating a strong bond with your teammates builds better communication and trust. Remote learning and emotional distance can have a big impact on students’ academic engagement and it can impact the wellbeing of all members of the school community. The one question icebreaker at the start or end of a meeting is one of the easiest ways to get team members to know each other and connect. The would you rather activity asks students to evaluate choices and explain their thinking These questions are a great way to get a conversation started in a fun and interesting way. The top 5 reasons Virtual Team Activities Don’t Work. This helps break down barriers between remote team members and create a more open and connected environment. Lunchtime games. Here are some opening, group sharing, and closing activities. It’s like Fika, but longer! To increase connectivity, boost morale, improve teamwork skills and energize your team we have summarized 30 of the virtual team building activities for a remote workplace. 70. Charming farming. March 22, 2018 Categories: Activity Ideas / Joyful Classrooms / Middle School / Morning Meeting / Positive Community / Responsive Advisory Meeting / SEL Skills. For example, you as the organizer can participate and bond with your colleagues too. Depending on how well your participants know one another, be thoughtful about what SEL skills you hope to grow among the group. Printable Tools and Activities ; Dr. Bailey’s Conscious Discipline Brain Smart Start consists of four activities designed to get children and adults in the optimal brain state for learning and problem-solving. The Benefits of Using Virtual Icebreakers 8 Fun Activities for Virtual Learning Meetings Would You Rather Debates – Virtual learning with students can be activity-based. 2. Mindfulness: The benefits of mindfulness range from improved working memory to stress reduction. Virtual Teams: Great for phone and video conferencing; Want to keep it simple? 13 Powerful SEL Activities - Build social and emotional skills into any class. If tonight’s class were a _____________, what would the ____________ be. On-demand webinars, online learning, and resources to support teaching and learning during school closures. Update: I launched a “Fun Virtual Team-Building Activities” book that includes 18 easy games you can play on Zoom or Webex with your team (no special apps needed & includes downloadable templates).I’m donating some of the profits to COVID-19 efforts. This opens in a new window. For younger kids, this can work on a certain skill, such as an item of a certain color, a number, or representing a season. Click here to learn more.. Supporting Staff and Virtual Teams. This post takes a deeper dive into meeting and training icebreakers and check-ins. Katy Mrvova March 9, 2021. The SEL Providers Council is committed to providing free SEL resources to support remote learning efforts around the globe. I’ve gathered 15 of my favorite team warm-ups from around the internet that can be utilized in virtual mode. VIRTUAL LUNCH. virtual faculty meeting with the three signature SEL practices; set up a kindness chain with staff members responsible for connecting with, reaching out to or doing something nice for one other staff person. Try to incorporate emotional check-ins into your program every day. 13 Powerful SEL Activities. To make this an inclusive event, send out gift cards ahead out time or have expenses up to $20 covered by the company! These should be personal anecdotes, not work-related. Create a video message to send out to students from the principal with an SEL theme of the week. Virtual Team Building Bingo. Ask participants to … Because intellectual and social-emotional development are linked, teaching both is the best way to promote lifelong success. Identify and prioritize opportunities for staff to learn, plan, and reflect on SEL. 6. This kind of conversation can be difficult in virtual meetings because you end up talking over each other. For meetings with more than 10 attendees, create “breakout rooms” if possible. From conference call meetings to email agendas, virtual work teams must work together, though physically apart, to reach the goals. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is broadly understood as a process through which individuals build awareness and skills in managing emotions, setting goals, establishing relationships, and making responsible decisions that support success in school and in life. how to improve efficiency, which activities to set up in the coming year etc. With more and more people working remotely, teams are finding virtual icebreakers can spark friendly, informal interactions online. 243. Virtual icebreakers are small interactive team-building activities that help remote or hybrid teams to connect on a personal level and enjoy some fun social time together. 6. Help students develop their social and emotional skills with these games. Pretend one team is your staff and the other is a round of budget cuts that you have to creatively survive. Summary. In the span of just three days, over 5,000 U.S. teachers responded to the survey. Article by Cult of Pedagogy. 65% of remote employees report that they have never had a team building session. The night before a video conference, all remote team members should write down two true facts and one lie about themselves. Give a 1 time quick and clear instruction, already pre-meeting or at the very start of the meeting, and then let attendees interview each other about their idea for work [e.g. Our daily lives and routines may look very different than they used to. 4. A good icebreaker at the start of your meeting will help you set the mood and loosen people up. easy to do. Tech isn’t tested before launching the virtual meetup. SEL skills are life skills, of course! Tech isn’t tested before launching the virtual meetup. They become cumbersome and dreaded if it’s something you do every time you have a virtual meeting. “Happy-Hour” events without much structure fall flat. Some icebreaker activities listed below are suitable as regular intros for, say, the weekly team meeting. But many schools don’t know how to ensure that their social emotional learning activities are focusing on the right skills. Follow the links below to each provider’s individual page where the lessons, units, activities, or tools are located. One team member becomes the radio host, while the others are the painters (you will only need pens and paper). These creative and playful activities stimulate interaction and engagement while setting a positive tone for the rest of your meeting. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is one of the most promising frontiers in educational research. Virtual Team Building Icebreakers (Easy) 4. 5) Virtual Team Building. When meeting face-to-face, this often happens informally through chit chat before the meeting officially starts. Friday Night Beers. That’s where emotional check-ins can help! Grab a free copy of the activities mentioned throughout this post by clicking the image below. When meeting face-to-face, this often happens informally through chit chat before the meeting officially starts. The top 5 reasons Virtual Team Activities Don’t Work. Share via: Facebook 0 Twitter Print Email More Social emotional learning isn’t just something that should be practiced and taught at school. Irrespective of what kind of week you’ve all had you can schedule a virtual meeting “down the Nags Head” for a drink after work at say 5.30pm or 6.00pm. 5) Virtual Team Building. 6. You can also use various icebreaker activities and virtual games for team-building, bonding, and … This team building activity for remote workers is based upon the trend of urban organic farming. Keep it short with a 30 minutes max time limit for 1-on-1 coffee meetings… With more and more people working remotely, teams are finding virtual icebreakers can spark friendly, informal interactions online. When creating a memorable virtual event with games and activities, consider the following tips: • Develop an agenda and share it with attendees. • Build activities that promote inclusive interactions. • Take plenty of breaks to keep everyone's attention. • Include incentives that encourage engagement. 24. Develop a set of norms or guidelines to help staff practice active listening, discourse, and debate in staff meetings or professional learning communities (PLCs). For example, * If tonight’s class were Pandora, what would the playlist be.