ABSTRACT
Community building and social-emotional learning are core learning experiences in elementary school. In traditional, in-person schools there are more moments during transitions between activities or rooms, cafeterias, and the playground where socialization happens without adult facilitation. We found that in online education, teachers and administrators need to be more intentional about creating time and space for socialization and play. In this chapter, we will break down the steps teachers used to scaffold how to socialize online, how we taught kids to “play” via live meetings, and how we built the school-wide community through school rallies and spirit weeks. Additionally, readers will see how morning meetings and closing circles were structured including prompts for discussions, fun activities that can be done online, as well as tools that promote interaction and community.
