Dude! High-Five! (TPR in Qkids Online Classroom)

I'm Julie and I'm an online teacher with Qkids. I've been a germ sharing teacher for many years in the wonderful State of Maine, but now I'm taking my show on the online-road with Qkids! Please join me on this adventure, and if you like what you see, feel free to use my referral code and I'll lend a hand to pull you on board! I promise it will be germ-free! (https://teacher.qkids.com/ref?code=FAXYWF)

As a middle school teacher, the High-Five was a quick, easy, and fun way to connect with students. Walking down the hall, after an accomplishment, or at the end of a long day. But then… it became dangerous! Our fingers became public enemy number one. Who knew what vile and infectious critters had taken up residence on those 11-year-old digits? Where had they been? What exposures had they had? How long had it been since they had been washed? Who knew that a simple hand gesture could be so hazardous?

Enter Qkids! 

I’ve only been teaching online with Qkids for a handful of months, but I’m in love with everything about it! I love the squeaky giggles when Koby throws the restaurant bill at Momo. I love purple-haired doctors and singing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes at 6:30 in the morning. But most of all, I love being able, nay encouraged, to High-Five kids again. I’ve been employing it regularly. Some kids refuse to do it and just look at me like I’m embarrassing them. Others enthusiastically slap the air in return. However, today things took a turn for the worse. 

A particularly delightful peanut of a girl was so excited, so caught up in the glow of a successful slide that when I High-Fived her, she put her heart and soul into it. Her sweaty little palm joyfully lurched forward with such speed and force that it swung right through the invisible target in front of the camera and took the camera completely out! My headphones exploded with percussion, “Thump-Dah-Dah-Thunk!” My student disappeared from my screen, and a blurry ceiling and plant flew through the video until the image bumped to rest on something red.

As my student’s enormous grin peeked out from behind her cupped hand, and her mother set the camera back up while apologizing, I thought…

Who knew that a simple hand gesture could be so hazardous?

It was a good laugh. Laughing with students helps to create a bond, a shared experience, a memorable moment. Studies show that when there is laughter in learning, students are more likely to recall the content. Further, in these difficult times, it’s more important than ever to find joy in small places. Look for joy with your students. Look for laughter. I found laughter in a High-Five. A simple, yet hazardous hand gesture.

Shaping the future of E-learning together! Helping Qkids family grow in your own way!

Love,

Qkids Family

Find us on: 

Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Twitter | Instagram