Tip 20: Send a fun, uplifting video to your community
As students continue distance learning, they may be feeling out of touch from school faculty and their usual learning environment. Making regular videos to remind students that you appreciate them and their work is a great way to support them through these uncertain times.
We love this video that Nicholas Easter, Vice Principal at Bancroft Middle School, shared with his school community. (This is one of his many morning announcement videos!) He reminds students that he misses them and is there for them, while encouraging them to join him in spreading love during these confusing, stressful, and lonely times.
Watch the video here or click the screenshot below.
Here are some highlights from Mr. Easter’s video that makes for a great message to students.
1. Make the message light-hearted and uplifting. And add humor. Everyone can use a little laugh these days. By cracking several jokes and even including some memes poking fun at himself, Mr. Easter is able to spread positivity and keep his video engaging.
With everything else students have on their plates right now — both academically and personally — it’s nice to have a break from the stress with a positive reminder from someone they look to for guidance. Although he acknowledges uncertainties about his school’s closure, his message as a whole is positive.
We love these additional “memes” added into the video. As a staple of youth culture and a “YouTube influencer” strategy, he surely knows how to appeal to his middle school students!
2. Be personable and authentic in your message. Mr. Easter is super personable and relatable, as he talks about how 2020 has been a crazy year for everyone and points out that he’s filming in his son’s “messy bedroom.” We love that Mr. Easter’s personable nature makes his message feel like a comforting talk with a friend!
3. Show (and encourage!) love, appreciation and support. Throughout the video, he tells students that he misses and appreciates them, and that he’s there to offer support. He also encourages students to spread love as much as they can — both to themselves and to other students. He reminds students to be appreciative and understanding of each other’s situations, recognizing that some of his students may have extra responsibilities at home on top of school.
4. Include a sign-off that summarizes your message AND is fun! He signs off by telling a dad joke and giving students a “serious reminder” to wear a mask and gloves when they leave the house while he wears a superhero mask and gloves. His message perfectly captures his humor and genuine concern for his students.
Thank you Mr. Easter for sharing this wonderful and hilarious video!
K-12 Remote Tips
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We’d love to know what you are doing — what great examples or ideas would you like to share with other schools? Simply comment below or submit your tip via our web form.