Video is so hot right now! Reaching your community with real students and teachers telling their own stories is so engaging and can leave an impact much greater than words or images alone.
But who has the time?
Coming up with ideas. Editing. Posting. It just is too overwhelming to think about, sometimes.
It is easier than you think.
Videos need to be only 5-10 seconds long and create meaningful engagement when shared on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube. Taking them with your smartphone or tablet is perfectly fine and makes it easy to upload onto social media. Be sure to set up your camera with great lighting and frame your video with a good angle.
“Batching” your videos is also a timesaving tip. You could ask one classroom to have each student prepare a response to what his or her favorite summer memory was. Going into that classroom of 20 kids and recording each child’s response could be done in a matter of 30 minutes. The individual videos could then be posted over time on your social media channels. Each Friday morning at 7 a.m., a new memory could be shared and you will have 20 weeks worth of videos to share.
If you are searching for some ideas for what you might record, here are just a few:
- Teacher sharing why he or she loves his or her job
- Superintendent doing a weekly recognition shout-out to an outstanding student
- Student explaining his or her artwork
- Parent expressing what they love most about the school district
- Student telling a joke
- First-graders completing an obstacle course in physical education class
- Principal sharing a teacher of the month recognition
- Students reading the lunch menu
- Kindergartners reading a short book
- Seniors telling of their plans for life after graduation
- Local businesses giving a shout-out of good luck for a big athletic event
- Eighth-graders showcasing their trip to the local nursing home to play games with the residents
- Band practice before an upcoming performance
- Student invitation to a fundraiser via a made-up song
- Fourth-graders sharing fun facts about the state you live in
- Math students giving a weekly math problem to your fans
- Foreign language students greeting your followers in that language
- Interviews with foreign exchange students about three interesting facts about their country
- High school student sharing the between-class routine, ensuring that they get from class to class on time
- Second-graders sharing a PowerPoint presentation
- Sixth-graders performing their self-written poetry
- Teachers sharing a unique talent (like juggling or eating five hot dogs in less than a minute)
- Sophomores who just got their license tell the community why they vow to not text and drive
- Freshman share their biggest fear about entering high school
- Series sharing what kids like most about the school
- Fifth-graders using their iPads for a quiz game via Kahoot!
- Staff letting fans know how long they’ve worked for the district
- Drama practice followed by an invite to the upcoming performance
- Choir singing a Christmas carol near the holidays
- Third-graders sharing what they learned this past week
- Seventh-graders introducing the basketball team and inviting the community to their next game
- Juniors exploring the school swamp for biology class
- Superintendent taking a tour of the newest project in the school to showcase how the investment is benefiting your students
Do you have more ideas that you can share with schools across the country? Comment below!
