Bitmoji Counselor’s Office

Have you seen the Bitmoji classrooms or Bitmoji office spaces that have been sweeping the #edchats on Twitter in education Facebook groups and helping educators reach students? Educators across the nation are creating these cool and innovative virtual classrooms. Educators have used technology for many years to make their classrooms creative and help capture their audience’s attention. These Bitmoji classrooms allow educators to pool all of those resources and links together in one virtual classroom with active links and videos embedded within the Bitmoji classroom page.

Many teachers have chosen to make their Bitmoji classroom look as much like their actual classroom as possible with free and paid resources available. Teachers are using videos to introduce themselves, allowing them to see their teacher and hear their voice in place of the look-alike Bitmoji character. Creating these introduction videos enables parents and students to know the educators, build camaraderie and trust in a virtual learning world. After the students and parents have built a level of trust and connectedness with the educators, then there is room to introduce the curriculum meeting rooms, links to learning, and Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) mindfulness moments for both students and parents.

Educators use several platforms such as Facebook Messenger, and Google Slides to mix and match resources to create their virtual classroom. I have seen many educators use Facebook Messenger to record themselves doing quick videos such as an introduction or instructions for a lesson to add to their Bitmoji classroom. Also, the bulk of these virtual classrooms are created within Google Slides. There are many resources available to make these Bitmoji classrooms within Google Slides, from YouTube tutorials to free backgrounds to Facebook Bitmoji classroom groups. The key to all of these resources in creating your virtual classroom is to make it unique to you just as you would your classroom in person.

As a school counselor, I have set a goal to have a Bitmoji Counselor’s Office this year, with all the same functions as my in-person office. I am using the same resources I have listed above in creating my Bitmoji office, as well as the motivation of my 2020 ACTE Experienced Fellows Mentor. I admired all of the Bitmoji classrooms from a distance throughout the summer, wishing I were still a classroom teacher and had an excuse to create a virtual classroom. Then, during a recent conversation with my mentor, Dawn Lindsley, she mentioned she made a virtual Bitmoji office and encouraged me to do the same. I am excited to push my creativity and connect with my students by offering a virtual office space once I have completed my own Bitmoji Virtual Counselor’s Office.