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A virtual example “Shelfie” my co-teacher made last Fall.

A virtual example “Shelfie” my co-teacher made last Fall.

Invaluable Beginning of the Year Tools & Tips

August 25, 2021 by Shardul Oza in curriculum, back to school

ORGANIZATIONAL 

  • Online calendar template for planning: while paper planners are wonderful, this past year I realized having everything online helped me feel reassured and less helpless when we had to suddenly quarantine or wait for test results. It’s also less to keep track of and carry back and forth, and especially useful if you are co-teaching as you can easily share the document and track changes in real time. I personally use these online calendar templates and turn them into Google Docs, but many different formats or platforms would work depending on what is easiest for you. My co-teacher and I really like the commenting and tagging options on Google Docs. I would be lost without my calendars as they have EVERYTHING on there from basic lesson plans to students’ birthdays to my dentist appointment.

  • Anecdotal notes: as mentioned above, it’s reassuring to have information online in case you aren’t allowed in school due to exposure at short notice. We take anecdotal notes about each child in a Google Sheet with one tab for each student and columns for different subjects and general notes (social emotional, family communications etc.), but you should organize yours however makes sense for you. I often make notes on a clipboard or post it while I’m with students, but I really try to make sure I then input my notes into our anecdotal shared document so that I know they won’t get lost and my co-teacher(s) can access them as well. Depending on your level of comfort, you can share the document with other teachers or staff who work with your students so they can add notes as well. I can’t share an example as it might include sensitive information and students' names, but set it up however makes the most sense for you and your team.

  • SPED related ones: Gabby used Google Sheets with tabs for all of the endless data collection/ assessment trackers, created virtual point cards and incentive systems (tried a few ways for both, this could be its own post!). First /then boards or other visual tools especially around expectations are also so clutch especially at the beginning of the year! However, one of her favorite tools that she would use even in the transition into in person was making a Google Form for teacher input for IEPs so she didn’t have to go ask teachers/put a form in their mailboxes. Finally, while having a physical binder for staff was sorely missed during virtual times, she also found that having a clear template with running staff notes virtually is something she would keep. It let her link all of her staff training choices and plans she made to one place, and kept a running log of how everyone was doing or what she needed to communicate with staff each day. 

BRING THE KIDDOS IN 

  • Family survey: I have always sent home a family survey, but modify it to the situation and after thinking about what might work best for the families I am working with. We always ask: Is there anything you want to share about your child/children? What are your hopes & dreams for your child in __ grade? Anything you want to share with our class (holidays, family traditions, hobbies or skills?) Since our opportunities for informal and/or in person interactions are so limited this school year, it will be extra valuable to get information from families however you can.

    • Depending on the families you work with, you can offer a paper copy or ask someone to help with translation as needed (or do it yourself if you’re lucky enough to have those skills). If you have families who don’t speak English at home and translation isn’t feasible, you can also change the format to make it less open ended and shorter

    • We always stress that it is optional and not something for families to worry about, just a way to share if you’d like! Sometimes families share names of pets or something students have been working on all summer that’s not school related, and it’s a way to positively connect with students the first week of school. It’s also nice because it is a neutral interaction with families before school starts, so if you do need to be in touch about something less positive, it’s not your first interaction (although we also try to send positive emails home for all students as soon as we can!).

    • For SPED, there should be even more background that you get to have for students-- at minimum a binder left by a previous teachers (I am a fan of keeping all of it!) about each kiddo, or a virtual folder for each kiddo with background, BSPs, Step up plans etc. Gabby liked having all of this organized virtually so it would be easy to refer to and adapt. She also put her Preferences, Interests and Strengths interviews with students in here so their voices (and how they change from year to year!) get to be in this folder, too. 

  • I wish my teacher(s) knew: It’s so important to give students the opportunity to share with you, especially these days with everyone feeling anxious and a lot of uncertainty about the way the school year will play out. I find that it is nice to make a Google Form for students to fill out with a few questions to give students an extra feeling of privacy. But there are so many ways to do this so find a way that works best for you and your students!

  • Shelfies! There are also so many ways to do shelfies. You can have families take actual photos with books or draw/write in titles they enjoyed this summer. You can also ask students to fill in a paper template at school (or online). I made sure to make an example and emphasize that some of the books on my “shelfie” were library books and many were books I re-read or read in the past and loved, so students know it’s okay if you don’t have a lot of books at home or didn’t have a lot of time to read over the summer. This can be a really nice ice breaker as it’s fun and creative. Of course, it is always great to know what kids have been reading or what books they’ve enjoyed in the past.

    • For SPED we had a few Bitmoji sensory and break rooms which were very helpful and big hits. Jamboard dolls and games that kids could dress up and really anything that they can personalize and share were all really great ways to bring themselves to the space, virtual or in person. 

  • Names Activities: We love taking time to talk about, share, and love up on our names as we step boldly into a new community we will create together. We are going to use them all year with one another and grow into our names even more! We value taking the time to get to know each other's names not just in correct pronunciation, but in some of the stories behind them and who we are! Asking students how they would like to be addressed is so important. Books like Your Name is a Song, Becoming Vanessa, Thunder Boy Junior, My Name (excerpt from House on Mango Street), are all solid options. More details about these activities here.

We hope these ideas help you as you start this new school year. Sending healthy and calm vibes to everyone for Teacher New Year.

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August 25, 2021 /Shardul Oza
back to school, online tools, virtual tools, name activities, family involvement
curriculum, back to school
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A slide with some of our thoughts on Virgil, a character from Erin Estrada Kelly’s Hello Universe

A slide with some of our thoughts on Virgil, a character from Erin Estrada Kelly’s Hello Universe

Useful Virtual Tools

August 24, 2021 by Shardul Oza in tools

Some of these tools are ones that I have used for years, others I really grew to appreciate during the pandemic when teaching solely online, when teaching in a hybrid model, and when teaching with students distanced from me and each other. I also found many useful when simultaneously teaching students in the classroom and online (over Zoom).

I’m fortunate that my school has accounts at many sites and sets them up for us, but all of these sites offer a free option so students could use them at home or with whatever technology is available to them.

  • Epic: Epic is a digital library for kids. It includes virtual leveled books, audiobooks, “read to me” books, and videos. There is a great nonfiction collection which would really work for students doing research at home. They do have limits on how much time students can spend on their site for free outside of school hours. It proved to be an amazing resource for us this year, especially when we weren’t sure of protocols around letting kids browse the classroom library and the school library was closed (it was actually turned into a classroom so we could be in smaller groups).

  • Seesaw: It seems to be that many elementary schools were already using Seesaw, and those that weren’t started using it during the pandemic. We were piloting it as an online portfolio tool and used it to share student work with families. However, it worked really well for us during the many different situations we found ourselves in this past school year and students love the interactive elements. We can comment on their posts and send work back if needed. Family members and other students can also comment if the admin (teacher) allows it. We used student to student comments sparingly for big shares or posts on the “class blog” which students used as a social outlet when they were isolated at home. It worked really well for an alternative way to have a publishing party and share our finished writing, but really for so many things.

  • Google Forms: This seems like an obvious one to include, but the potential for Google Forms (or any online survey tool, this one worked really well for us as our school uses all of the G-suite tools) is endless. We’ve used it to get feedback or reflections from our students, have students show what they learned about a topic they’re researching, get information from families, and have students create quizzes for each other (you could use it as part of a jigsaw activity).

  • Jamboard: Jamboard was invaluable for us as we taught through the pandemic. It’s a great student engagement tool as you can share the link with students and use the “duplicate slide” tool to create a slide for each student (there is a limit of 20 slides, so you might need to make multiple Jamboards). The post its and the ability to handwrite are so helpful for making slides or having students do work or brainstorm in the moment. Our literacy specialist used the post its to make word part cards and have students work to sort or build words right on Jamboard. We also used it to make slides for Reading and Writing Workshop lessons as you can put a screenshot of a text on there and then mark it up as needed. It’s so fun for students to use as well.

  • Newsela: Newsela has come up a lot on our blog over the years, and if you aren’t using it, get ready for an amazing tool! It’s a news site with articles at students’ reading levels (and with appropriate content). It’s been so helpful to us over the years. Students hear about what is going on in the world and have questions, so having an article that is accessible and appropriate for them to share can be incredibly helpful. It’s a wonderful Social Studies tool, but we’ve used it in basically every subject.

  • Toy Theater: We used this site for virtual manipulatives when we were teaching online or when we weren’t able to use actual manipulatives due to COVID protocols. It’s also a great site to send home for students who need more practice. We particularly liked it for teaching fractions, but that’s also a big unit in the 3rd grade, so there are many other applications.

  • ABCya: Another favorite to send home for students to practice (particularly Math facts, but it could be sight words, contractions, or so many other things). This site works for an ipad or computer center in the classroom (if you have that type of student facing tech) and gives students opportunities for practice that feel more fun to them than most paper based options. It is free, but you need the premium membership which costs money for some features.

Other ideas for games you can play while distanced or online are available here.

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Thank you!
August 24, 2021 /Shardul Oza
virtual tools, online tools
tools
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