Along Social Emotional Learning Resource

Along is a first-of-its-kind teacher-student connection builder provided at no cost by Gradient Learning, a nonprofit organization founded and led by educators who are driven to bring communities, schools, and families together in pursuit of meeting the needs of every student. Along was created to help educators build meaningful 1:1 connections with each student. Engage with your students by choosing from our expansive library of research-informed conversation starters. Along is completely free and the perfect resource to help build connections at the start of the school year—and all year long!

Check out how Along works: https://www.along.org/how-it-works/.

If you’re a 4th -12th grade teacher, you could receive a $150 DonorsChoose Gift code just by trying out Along. Here are the simple steps to qualify:

• Sign up for a free account on Along.org. *Before you sign up, please ensure you have notified your school leader. Send a reflection question from Along to at least 10 students.
  • Set up your classroom by sending your Connect Code to students so they can access the tool.
  • Browse our content collection and pick one question to ask your students.
  • Record your own answer using either text, audio, or video and send it to your students.
  • Review student responses to the question and follow up directly with a short message back.
• Send out a second reflection question to at least 10 students, following the process shared above.
• Fill out and submit a survey about your experience.

You'll be asked to share your thoughts on your experience after sharing two reflections from our library with at least ten of your students. Once you submit this form* and your responses are approved, you'll receive a $150 DonorsChoose gift code via email within three weeks\ while funds last.

Here are some quick tips for using Along:

1. Model reflections for students. Record and share your response to the question. Students will be more likely to share back as they take cues from us. You can check out this video to learn more about sending your first reflection question.
2. Validate student reflections. When you reply back to student reflections with a short message, you help to strengthen your connection and build trust.
3. Consider building Along into your schedule. It takes just minutes to build meaningful connections using Along. You can quickly establish a routine that works for you and your students beyond this initial experience. Check out how.

To learn even more about Along, visit our resources page.

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