Form Tutors by Mr Bluck https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus Sharing good practice for form tutors during school closure en-us 2020-05-06 10:59:27 UTC 2025-07-18 23:25:00 UTC hello@padlet.com Start a hobby, make people smile abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554417717 Mrs Bolton cheered up a disengaged student by suggesting she baked and delivered some cakes to her nan. This worked a sweet treat and now they have the baking buzz. Great idea to give a bit of purpose to the day and give a little back. ]]> 2020-05-06 11:04:51 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554417717 Stay connected abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554426430 Mrs Ogogo maintains email communication with her tutor group. She sends them ideas that help them to engage in the virtual society developing around them: ideas for VE day; live-streaming gigs; fitness tips; theatre streams etc. ]]> 2020-05-06 11:10:16 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554426430 Praise, praise, praise abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554433717 Miss Fletcher finds out from parents what her form have been up to and recognises the good things through her SMHW communication.]]> 2020-05-06 11:14:32 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554433717 Inspire abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554440550 Mrs Wood is sending out weekly well-being quotes for students and a task using the Kindness Calendar. Some nice charity ideas shared too, like the 2.6/26 Challenge for Farleigh Hospice as we tend to do a coffee morning of them this time of year. This year it could be 26 virtual coffees with friends over the fortnight/month. My favourite though is sending a silly fact (sea otters sleep holding hands) alongside a silly pic. ]]> 2020-05-06 11:18:57 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/554440550 Routines abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/555143624 Mr Smith has been in telephone contact with parents and students to keep up to date with how they are doing. This has been more personal than emailing all the time . Friday quizzes have kept the normal school routine in place and students have really enjoyed this. ]]> 2020-05-06 15:43:07 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/555143624 Stronger relationships abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/555280033 Mrs Cussell has been able to continue building on those strong relationships through the regular contact with parents and students. She is hoping to start setting up some silly daily challenges as the lock-down continues.]]> 2020-05-06 16:29:16 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/555280033 Using Teams to strengthen the team abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/555291397 Mr Rooney kindly shared the way in which he is interacting with his tutor group family. Using Microsoft Teams, Mr Rooney has established regular contact each day with his students: 

'With my tutor group, I have a daily "registration". I post a message by 0800 every day. Students are asked to come on to Teams and just like the post. I ask that they do it by 0900. The idea of 0830 - 0900 was to give them a reason to get up in the morning. There was a fixed time that they were supposed to be online which meant a clear start to the day. Not all of them make it by 0900 - some don't make it until the afternoon. That's fine.

As soon as they like it, that gives me a reason to send them a quick Instant Message. Often nothing more than "Good morning 🤬, lovely to see you this morning. How was your weekend?" The idea being that it should prompt them to reply.

Not all of them reply to my messages. That is their choice. I never comment on it if they don't. If they miss a day I simply send them a message saying something very neutral about "hope you are well".

I feel it has worked well. I have a daily interaction with almost every student in my tutor group. It does take quite a lot of time - pretty solid from 0730 to about 0930 every morning, but for me, it is worth it.

It is a bit of work, but my daily chats with my tutees are genuinely the highlight of my working day. I don't know what they get from it, but I absolutely love it.
]]> 2020-05-06 16:33:10 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/555291397 Sending love and kindness abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/556938858 This week, Miss Lyons has sent this lovely message to her form group. It comes alongside her weekly updates where she includes stories about what she has been up to, showing that we are 'humans too' being honest and open about the effects of isolation.

]]> 2020-05-07 09:46:11 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/556938858 Keeping the home fires burning abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/568445653 Mrs Farage is keeping to routine in a virtual, caring and sometimes tongue in cheek manner!
I leave a message on smhw for 8M every day. Parents say both they and 8M really look forward to starting their day with a message or contact that is not just more work. Some parents said this helps them to get the day started to get them online. I include form tutor routines like 'who needs a green slip for no tie' or 'are you standing behind your chair?'  which they think is really funny but reminds them of expectation when we get back I hope. We have a weekly quiz, countdown challenges, physical challenge to all virtually walk up Snowdon. I send something different every day. Some silly like inter-house thumb wrestling and others to remember to be nice to everyone in your home. We talked about GCSE options and which subjects they enjoy most while off school, looking to the future. I also email parents and add my personal thanks for their efforts to home tutor their children and let them know that many parents are finding this a difficult time.
]]> 2020-05-12 19:02:30 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/568445653 Be proud of what you can do abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/569839064 Miss Horton has been getting her form to send her examples of things they have been proud of doing whilst on lock-down:
I have had some really lovely replies ranging from:

Whole book series being read
Making vegetable patches 
Lots of baking
Artwork 
Making dens with siblings 
Creating football drills 
Learning to do the splits 

Some of them send photos of what they have been proud of. It is very nice to see! 
]]> 2020-05-13 11:57:52 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/569839064 Ways to keep happy abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/570760990 Mr Wiseman tasked his group to create a poster on 'ways to keep happy':
I find giving them a little task to do each week helps just to keep in contact with them 
]]> 2020-05-13 17:28:34 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/570760990 Go hunt! abluck1 https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/579529357 Mrs Crossingham has set her tutor group a Scavenger Hunt this week. Students will collect some or all of the items - and then, if they can, send a photo and perhaps a few words as to why they chose the items.]]> 2020-05-18 10:26:32 UTC https://padlet.com/abluck1/r73os9jt9ibfyxus/wish/579529357