Are you new to using School Day or just in need of a fresh restart? Introducing new tools into your schedule might sometimes feel like a stretch, but once routinized, they will actually bring clarity, order, and even some extra minutes to your day. For a more straightforward implementation, here's an example of how to get the most out of School Day.

Let's say we have a teacher called Tod, who's just about to start the new school year with a group of fourth graders. He's new to the class, and there are also several students who have recently moved to the area and don't yet know any of their peers. Some of the students are best friends since kindergarten, some have only gotten to know each other during the hybrid school, and deeper bonds are yet to be formed.

In the first week of school, Tod decides to focus on getting to know each of his students and creating a safe class atmosphere. A good, inclusive class spirit is an invaluable investment in the wellbeing of students. Plus, it very likely enhances their ability to learn.

After having everyone tell about themselves and finding things in common, a round of two truths and a lie, and sharing pictures of his pet parrot, Tod tells his students it's time to answer the School Day questions. The school has launched the app during remote school and has continued to conduct the weekly wellbeing checks as the data has proven helpful in making action plans and allocating resources. The students like it, too!

Some of the students are, then, already familiar with the app, while some are beginners, just like Tod himself. The students download the app and log in on their mobile devices, moving on to answer the initial survey, while Tod logs in to the teacher app on his computer and gets his way around by following an intro tour of the app. A few times, a student raises their hand to ask about a word, and together the class discusses concepts such as reliable information and being overwhelmed.

Already after the first five students have submitted their answers, Tod starts to see action on his MyClass page. Tod glimpses the numbers but decides to leave them for a more thorough examination later. After everyone is done, Tod wishes his class a nice day forward as they rush home for the day.

A week has passed, and Tod receives the weekly School Day summary in his inbox. He logs in and takes a look at how his class is doing and compares it to the rest of the school. He's been talking with his colleagues, and several of them have noticed their students struggling a bit with uncertainty and anxiety as they settle into the classroom environment after the summer break. The observations prove true, as Tod reads the numbers of each four main areas. The circle initiating wellness is looking great, 95, while social relationships only reach to 65. He prints out the discussion support material to help him have a meaningful talk with his class, as his schedule only allows 30 minutes for discussion.

As Tod's students gather in the classroom, Tod tells them he wants to talk to them about how to spread positivity and ensure that no one is left alone. To kick off, he shows the short video on kindness to the class. Afterward, he reminds his class how differently each one of them might experience the start of the new school year. He asks his students to think of a situation where they've felt like they don't belong and then ways to make others feel welcome. Soon the students are proposing their ideas for bonding and creating a tighter community. Together the class decides to introduce a quick round of feelings into their mornings to ensure everyone gets greeted and heard.

Tod is glad they took the time to discuss. The questions in the support material really helped the students open up. At the same time, he feels like he's beginning to learn his students better and that they can rely on him. He still decides to monitor the issue more closely in the upcoming weeks and have regular group exercises to keep up the team spirit. He has the students answer the School Day questions every Friday to stay on the pulse. The weekly emails make it easy to get straight to the most pressing matters at hand. With the ongoing data flow, he can confidently address the issues his students need additional support with and team up with his colleagues and principal to plan wider actions.

This is one example of how to take School Day into weekly use. Remember to make sure to utilize our lesson plans and join our global Facebook community to connect with educators all over the globe!

P.S. Did you know that you can add students manually to the School Day platform? 

Just open your profile in the upper right corner of your MyClass page and choose Manage Students. Click Add Students, provide the email address and name of the student(s), and click Add. Once you've added all the students you want, click Send Invite. The newly added students will receive an email invitation.