Would love to hear how people are helping students to engage with their peers, the class, the materials, etc., in our current moment. Here's are two things I've been doing:
Letting them know it's okay if they didn't do the work, and they can count on their peers to help
When I told a colleague I did this, they sort of scoffed and said that when told they weren't punished for not doing the reading/work, students just wouldn't do it. But I have to say, I haven't found that to be the case. So much fear exists in academic spaces, and I don't want to contribute to that. There were also many a time that I skipped class, not because I didn't want to go, but because I was afraid the professor would find out I hadn't done the reading (usually because I was either working, unable to concentrate and read the first sentence ten times before giving up, or too depressed). For me, knowing that the classroom wasn't a punitive space would have meant I had the opportunity to learn.
And really, what is more important than learning? I don't think teachers should act like cops.
So I try to create environments where students can count on one another when they need additional support. Students work in small groups and on a class gDoc together. If someone wasn't able to complete the reading or fully prepare, I encourage them to be the "group leader," whose job is to ask questions and stir up conversations. Students are encouraged to do the work when they're able, so that when they aren't able, they can count on their peers to help and lift them up. I think this helps to create an environment that acknowledges the difficulties of this moment while still encouraging the kinds of thinking and creating we very much need.
Students don't have to be ashamed to admit they haven't done the reading. They can be honest with their peers and ask for help.
Encouraging play with objects