Are you starting to plan for going back to school during Covid-19? If you're anything like me, you're trying to relax and enjoy your much-deserved summer holiday, but thoughts of going back to school keep creeping up on you. This year poses a whole new assortment of feelings as we plan for a Covid-19 back to school start-up. I hope that I can help share some ideas to help you as you plan for what the first week of school will be like this year.
Like many of you, I started suddenly teaching virtually in the spring of 2020. It was a huge learning curve. On June 1,2020 I started teaching in a hybrid capacity. Half of my class remained at home doing online learning supported by me (and their parents!) and the other half came to school in person on a schedule. What that amounted to was me teaching some students online, teaching some of my students in person 40% of the time, and some of my students in person 80% of the time (some students came two days, and some came four days). I won't lie, it was a bit overwhelming. However, as a result of this experience, I feel like I have some tips to share.
I am planning to write a number of blog posts with tips for back to school during Covid-19, so feel free to come back or subscribe to read more over the coming weeks.
In today's post I would like to share 3 aspects of planning for back to school teaching during Covid-19 while keeping our safety (returning staff and students*) at the center.
HOW TO PRESENT YOUR INSTRUCTION
If you are returning to a hybrid model, you will need to be planning face-to-face instruction as well as distance learning using technology or packets. This of course poses a workload issue, so from the start, try to streamline your plan.
Determine which platforms or websites your school district or school has chosen to utilize. This will eliminate a lot of headaches when it comes to coordinating your technology lessons. For example, if your school uses Microsoft, you won't want to waste time looking at Google Classroom ideas. If your school will require you to use a certain platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, you might want to spend a bit of time familiarizing yourself with it when you have a chance. Other websites that were offering free trials during Covid-19 in the spring might not be doing so anymore, so you might need to prepare yourself for limited options going forward.
I'm not saying that you should spend your whole summer researching websites. You're on holidays after all! However, if you are moving to a new district, or if your site has changed platforms, it might be worth checking them out. If you are going to be teaching in a hybrid system, you will want to make sure that you can "double dip" as much as possible. If you have created a lesson in Google slides, you might want to use portions of it in class and re-purpose parts of the lesson for at-home learning. As much as possible, plan to be streamlined. For example, if you have access to Epic, you might choose a book from Epic to plan a series of writing lessons. Then you can present the lessons in person to some students, and assign the same book at home to those who are doing distance learning. Another idea is to use a pair of books from Book Flix to plan a science lesson that you present in person, but also send home blackline masters to accompany the books.
If you are going to be teaching in-class or in a hybrid (both at-home and in-class) model, you will need to plan some non-technology teaching formats as well. Instead of small group lessons, group-work, and sharing manipulatives, you will need to figure out ways to teach while adjusting some of your go-to routines.
For the month of June, the in-class student work I used was largely based around packets, whiteboards, outdoor learning, and whole class interaction. It would be helpful for you to spend a bit of time thinking about the different types of physically distanced activities you feel comfortable facilitating and thinking of some systems for how to deliver them.
My system was that I placed any paper items into students' book boxes ahead of time (or placed them on their empty desks before school). That way they could retrieve them without me (or a student) needing to hand them out. They also each had a whiteboard for whole class interactive activities, and a clipboard so that we could do some of our learning outdoors. Consider how you can re-purpose some of your partner and group activities to work in a new more distanced set-up.
WHAT RESOURCES TO PROVIDE
When I first started in-class teaching during Covid-19, I felt like I was a bit lost-at-sea. So much of my teaching revolved around group-work, small group instruction, and using shared materials and manipulatives. With some tweaks to my systems and routines, I was still able to provide solid and meaningful instruction. If you are not used to using many worksheets, you might want to give yourself permission to print a few in advance of school starting, because there tends to be a bit more down-time during the extra hand-washing routines that are now required.
Here is a basic list of resources and supplies you might find useful in the first week of school and beyond:
Individual Paper and Pencil Activities:
-coloring pages
-printing practice
Labeled Ziploc Baggies of Math Manipulatives:
-20 double sided counters-2 dice
-deck of cards
-laminated ten frames
-laminated 100 chart or 120 chart
Fast Finisher Center Activities:
-miniature bin of Lego
-individual cans of playdough
-ziploc bag of pattern blocks
My advice is to look around at what you already have. Is there an item you have a large quantity of? Could you divide it among your students so that they each have their own supply?
Depending on the safety protocols of your district, you might be able to create baggies for half of your class and rotate them weekly after they have sat untouched for the weekend, but research on this is changing, so please refer to the guidelines that pertain to your area.
Clipboards:
Having a set of clipboards that are labeled with student names, and kept in student desks or book boxes is so convenient! Clipboards are perfect for taking outside during good weather. Remember that you can take almost any paper and pencil activity outside as long as the students don't need to reference anything from in the classroom. For example, students might enjoy completing their writing, math practice, drawing, science observations, and even reading practice outside! My advice is to always make sure that students bring along two pencils as well as an eraser.
Whiteboard, marker, and eraser:
-student mini whiteboards are the best single investment I have made in my classrooms over the years.
-use them for all subject areas for instant student engagement
-play games (Boggle, Race the Teacher, Phonics games, etc.)
Technology if available:
If you like, you also might want to investigate some flexible technology activities such as Boom Cards. Boom has a plethora of activities that can be assigned from a variety of learning platforms. There are many free activities. If you have a free account you can share a Fast Play Pin with your students, and if you have a paid account you can even check your student's progress. Boom cards can be used in-class by any number of students, as well as at home. You can see the self-checking learning activities I have created by clicking here.Individual Paint Sets:
If at all possible, you might consider increasing your art instruction. My students had done a fair bit of drawing during their time at home, because I provided art as a component of my at-home learning plan. What they were eager to do during in-school instruction however was the art that went beyond paper and pencil. They wanted painting and paper crafts. I highly encourage you to provide watercolor paint sets (one per child) as this allows for painting without too much mess, and no sharing is necessary. If you have individual paint palettes or plastic lids or plastic picnic plates, you can also pre-load them with tempera. You can check out my Pinterest board for some art ideas if you need somewhere to start!
WHO OUR STUDENTS NEED US TO BE
It probably comes as no surprise to you that our students have been through an emotional roller-coaster over the past number of months. My own children have had ups and downs about missing friends and yearning for the routines of school, while also enjoying staying home in their pajamas!
What I found during my time of being a hybrid-teacher was that above all else, my students longed for me to listen. They wanted to share their stories with a new audience after being with siblings and parents for so long.
Beyond that, they wanted me to provide time for the simple things. They wanted to talk with their classmates, create art, listen to stories, use math tools they had used in the past, and play, play, play!
My advice going forward is to allow for talk. Encourage conversation. Build time into your day for sharing, interacting, listening. Make space for joy in learning, even though your methods will likely change from the past. What can you let go of from your day? Find the time for what your students desperately want and need after a season of distance from school.
Above and beyond, my students needed me to be a nurturing listener. The learning came, but it had to be built upon that foundation.
HOW WE CAN DO ALL OF THIS IN A WAY THAT IS SAFE?
Once you are informed about your school's Covid Safety protocols, spend some time determining how you will make them work practically in your classroom.
For example, if students are expected to maintain distance between themselves at all times...
How will you set up the classroom desks/tables? Is there extra furniture in the room that can either be removed or placed in a corner? Are you able to put markings down on the floor to show where to line up to wash hands? How will students move around the classroom while keeping you and their classmates safe?
I can speak from experience that removing furniture will be highly beneficial to the functioning of your space. I used to have desk groupings, tables, and flexible seating. All of those had to change. My room was simplified. I had 10 groups of 2 desks all facing the front. Even though there were 20 desks, each pair of desks was only occupied by one student at a time. The desks were labeled and the students kept most of their belongings in their desks for easy access.
I also highly recommend using green painter's tape on the floor to mark spaces for the students to line up for washing hands. It's affordable to purchase, it's easy to apply, and if it gets grungy you can easily replace it.
You can also use the tape to mark off space that you would like to maintain as "adult-only" space. That might be around your desk area and/or the space near the whiteboard. It's imperative that you know that you will have your own protected area for physically distancing. You can then use that space when students need to move around the room so that you aren't in their way.
The key to keeping as safe as possible is spending the time teaching students the routines for keeping distance and for washing their hands. Students need to know where to go once their hands are clean. For example, if they need to wash their hands before eating their lunch, it doesn't make sense for them to need to touch items in between washing and touching their food. If they need to wash hands before going outside at recess, make sure the door is open so they don't each need to touch the door knob, etc. It might seem overwhelming at first, but just take it slow and the students will learn and thrive. I could not believe how great my students were at washing their hands many times each day without complaining.
How do I teach safely during Covid?
Present a variety of activities that allow student engagement while students are distanced from each other and from the teacher.
What resources enable more safe learning during Covid?
Provide packets, individually labeled clipboards, whiteboards, supplies, bins, and manipulative baggies that allow students to access their own materials over and over again without additional cleaning.
Who do our students need us to be during face-to-face instruction during Covid?
We need to be nurturing listeners and creative teachers in order to support the learning of students who may have varying degrees of emotional baggage resulting from their individual experiences during Covid-19 and quarantining.
* Please note, I completely understand that returning to school bears inherent risk. My tips are only relevant for staff who are able to choose to return to work and who are not immuno-compromised or otherwise in danger. I am not a health professional. This post is intended to support return to school where the teacher is willing to return.
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