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The first week back to school is a delicate balance of excitement, anxiety, and endless possibilities. Teachers are juggling new faces, learning names, and trying to create an environment where every student feels valued and heard.
Screencastify's Submit feature offers a new approach to those crucial first weeks. By allowing students to record video responses at their own pace, you're giving them the time and space to share their genuine selves. This feature transforms one-way assignments into meaningful dialogue opportunities, helping you understand not just what students know, but who they are as individuals. Here’s a few ways you can get started:
1. Student Introduction Time Capsules
Create a Submit link where students record 2-3 minute videos introducing themselves, sharing their summer highlights, and expressing what they're most excited or nervous about for the new school year. This approach gives every student an equal voice, regardless of their comfort level with public speaking.
These videos become precious keepsakes that you can revisit at winter break or year-end to show growth. Students often surprise themselves when they see how much they've changed and learned over the months.
Why This Works: Quieter students particularly benefit from this format, as they can take time to gather their thoughts and reshoot if needed.
Teacher Advantage: You'll learn names and personalities quickly, making those first few weeks of relationship building much more efficient than traditional written introductions.
2. Family Heritage Presentations
Have students create short videos at home showcasing a family tradition, cultural background, or special family recipe. This assignment allows them to bring their home culture into the classroom while building community and celebrating diversity from the very beginning of the year.
Students feel proud of their backgrounds while educating classmates about different cultures, foods, and traditions. These presentations often become conversation starters that last throughout the year.
Why This Works: Parents often get involved in these videos, strengthening the home-school connection right from the start. You might see grandparents teaching traditional recipes, families explaining holiday customs, or students sharing artifacts that have been passed down through generations.
Teacher Advantage: These presentations can become the foundation for multicultural celebrations and discussions throughout the year, creating a classroom culture that values diversity.
3. Show and Tell with Purpose
Transform traditional show and tell into meaningful learning experiences by having students record videos explaining a skill they've mastered over the summer, a book they loved, or a project they undertook. This allows students to demonstrate their learning and growth while building confidence in their abilities.
Unlike quick classroom presentations, students can take time to think through their explanations, resulting in more thoughtful and comprehensive sharing that reveals student interests and talents you might not otherwise discover.
Why This Works: The format encourages deeper reflection as students to articulate their interests and why they matter to them, helping them reflect more effectively.
Teacher Advantage: You gain valuable insights into student interests and learning styles that can inform instruction throughout the year.
Screencastify's Submit feature transforms those potentially overwhelming first weeks from surface-level introductions into meaningful connections that last all year long. By capturing student voices early and authentically, you're showing them that their stories, backgrounds, and perspectives are valued and important.
As you plan your back-to-school activities, consider how Submit can help you move beyond traditional icebreakers to create lasting connections.
Don’t know how to get started? Click here for everything you need to know about making a Submit assignment.
