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Not So Wimpy Teacher blog post about making centers possible this year

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Not So Wimpy Teacher blog post about making centers possible this year

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Last updated on July 27, 2020 by Lindsay Smith

There is no doubt about it - we live in a different world than we did just six months ago. Covid-19 has brought lots of fear and uncertainty to the world of education. What will school look like next year? Will we wear masks? Will we have students in the classroom or will we still be teaching virtually? If we are in the classroom, how will we keep ourselves and our students safe while still delivering the best possible lessons?

I wish that I had all of the answers for you. Sadly, I do not. What I can do is brainstorm and come up with tips and ideas based on what we do know. Please know that I am NOT a doctor or a scientist. I am not your school board or your principal. I am going to share some ideas, but ultimately we all have to listen to the rules and restrictions in our school and go with our gut.

You all know that centers are my jam. I use them in reading and in math. I love that centers are engaging, great for review and practice, and the perfect activity for students to complete while the teacher meets with small groups.

So how can we continue to do centers next year if we do have students in the classroom? Some of my centers were things like technology and read to self. Those activities aren't as difficult to continue. But what about the hands-on center activities? You know - the sorts, task cards, and the stations with manipulatives?

Check out these tips for making hands-on center activities safer next school year...

Laminate

Take time NOW to laminate your hands-on center activities if you have not already done so!

They will last so much longer than just cardstock alone. That's a major bonus and time saver.

But even more importantly, once the centers are laminated, it will be easy to wipe them down after students use them. In fact, if you are allowed, I would make it a routine or class job that a student wipes them with a Lysol wipe each day after centers. If you teach and practice the routine, they can do this task very quickly.

If you don't already have a personal laminator, I love THIS one.

Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer will most definetly became a staple in every classroom this year.

For hands-on centers, I recommend keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer right next to the center activities. Make it a part of the center routine to use the sanitizer BEFORE and AFTER using the center materials.

One Student at a Time

When I would do math centers in my classroom, I always had 10 different activities available in my hands-on rotation at one time. Students needed to complete all 10, but they could do them in any order they chose.

Having more activities available than you have students in a group means that one student can be working on an activity at a time.

Students can take their activity to a certain spot in the classroom and not work super close to other students. You might want to declare certain spots in the classroom that are specifically to be used for the hands-on center activities.

Now, don't kill yourself trying to come up with a million different activities! Buy bundles that already include multiple center activities for each skill!

Make Independent Student Kits

Are there certain manipulatives or tools that students use often during centers? Maybe dice? Or spinners? Or counters?

How about putting these materials in zip up pencil pouches for each student? Put student names on the pouches and have students bring the pouch when they are working on hands-on center activities.

Now there is less sharing of materials!

Go Digital

I consider this to be the "if all else fails" option. I love having hands-on centers that keep students off of screens. But in times like this...you do what you have to do!

The important thing is that you look for engaging centers that ask students to think deeply! Online games are fun, but they don't always stretch our students as much as we need them too.

Great news! My team just completed making all of my math centers for grades 2, 3, 4 & 5 digital! They are all on Google Slides. Students can drag, drop, click and type in answers. The centers are engaging and still ask students to write about their mathematical thinking! It is a great combination of fun and thinking deeply.

These centers will also be ideal for those teachers who will need to teach virtually some or all of the time. Students can complete them at home!

Year-long digital bundles are now available!

I hope that these tips give you some ideas and maybe even some hope about using centers in the classroom!

There is no denying that this school year will be a bit unconventional, but your students are so lucky to have a NOT so wimpy teacher!

Have a Not So Wimpy day,

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How to Make Centers Safer Next Year - Not So Wimpy Teacher

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Last updated on July 27, 2020 by Lindsay Smith There is no doubt about it - we live in a different world than we did just six months ago. Covid-19 has brought lots of fear and uncertainty to the world of education. What will school look like next year?

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Going back to school is definitely going to look different in the fall. We will all need to do our part by following the guidelines to keep us all safe and healthy. But these guidelines should not affect having Morning Meetings to build teacher-student relationships and classroom community. Investing the time in building relationships and classroom community in Morning Meeting during the first 6 weeks of school and is the most important thing to focus on if and when we are back in the classroom in the Fall. If we need to go back to remote learning at any time, we will at least have relationships & classroom community built which will make remote teaching and learning a lot easier.

What is Morning Meeting?

Responsive Classroom 's Morning Meeting is a 15-20 minute daily routine used to begin the school day. All classroom members gather in a circle to greet one another, listen and respond to each other's news, and practice academic and social skills. It serves as a transition from home to school, helps children feel welcome and known, and sets the tone for the day. The 4 components of Morning Meeting should be introduced in the first two weeks of school, starting off slowly introducing one component at a time.

Morning Meeting for Building Classroom Community

Morning Meeting is our favorite time of the day and is the first thing we do to start each day off on the right foot. Responsive Classroom says that Morning Meeting fulfills two human needs: the sense of belonging and significance and the need to have FUN! Morning Meeting merges social, emotional, and academic learning, which is something we will have to particularly focus on after students have been home for a long period of time due to COVID-19. Morning Meeting also builds trust and strengthens relationships with peers, as well as with teachers.

But now things have changed. Education has changed. Schools have changed. There's a new normal with social distancing. Morning Meeting will look different but it doesn't mean we can't have Morning Meetings. So, here are some ways in which we can still have our daily Morning Meeting but also follow the guidelines that are now in place.

Let's Talk Physical Space

Now gathering in a circle may be our first obstacle and most likely will not be an option. Since classrooms come in all different shapes and sizes, we will need to think about the physical space first. We will also need to think about the number of students in each classroom. Will class sizes be smaller? They should be smaller but that may not happen.

Thinking about my classroom space with about 22-25 students, we will try some of these options for gathering:
* Stand in a circle 3-6 feet part, students can bring a chair
* Stand around the perimeter of the room
* Students stand behind their desks
Most likely students will want to stand instead of sitting in their seats. It allows them to move, to stretch, and to see all students.

Morning Meeting Greeting

Children greet each other by name with a smile and eye contact. This means there doesn't have to be any physical contact. We can still do some of the greetings we know and love. Simple, quicky lefty, righty greetings are good for any grade level. Here are some varieties for social distancing:

Quicky Lefty, Righty- Students turn to their right and greet their classmates by name, "Good Morning, Jayden" and then turn to the left to do the same. You can do quicky lefty, righty greetings in many different ways.

Quicky Lefty Righty Varieties:

Wave

Thumbs up

Bow or Curtsy

Air Hug (instead of a hug)

Salute

Foot Bump (this may still be ok to do as long as students keep the distance)

Foreign Language ("Bonjour, Mrs. Weis")

Formal Greeting- students greet each other using a Ms. or Mr. followed by their last name

For a little movement and fun, I may add in a ball (plastic ball or beach ball) or balloon because they are easy to wipe down afterward. Students can toss the ball to the person they are greeting.

For the younger grades, song greetings are perfect! Get them greeting each other with a song and a smile. This definitely gets your day started off on a bright note.

Here's a PDF of some greetings from the Morning Meeting Greeting book, Morning Meeting Greetings that I found in my search.
This book is a great resource to have to get you started.
Morning Meeting Share

A few students share each day with some news of interest to the class and respond to each other with thoughtful questions/comments, practicing communication skills, and learning about one another. Students can share standing in the circle 3-6 feet apart or while students are seated at their desks. Ask students what they prefer. Perhaps the student who is sharing can come to the front of the room and share. It's always best to ask your students what they feel most comfortable with. Let them decide and try different ways with your students.

Remember that Share is not a show and tell. Students do not have to bring in anything to share or show. Students can share something about themselves, something they're looking forward to, a special event, an achievement, or something that is happy or sad. It's a way for peers to get to know each other better and build classroom community. It also strengthens speaking and listening skills. I model preparing Morning Meeting Share by having students think about the main idea of what they are going to share and then using the 5 finger rule to stay focused on sharing the most important details. A share might sound like:

1. Today is my 10th birthday.

2. I am going to have dinner & birthday cake with my mom, dad, grandma, and sister tonight.

3. This weekend I am going to have a sleepover with my cousins.

4. I am really excited about it and I can't wait.

5. I think it's going to be my best birthday yet.

"I'm ready for thoughtful questions and comments." Allow for 3 in total.

Give your students these response stems to reply for comments:

It sounds like... you will have a really nice birthday. Happy Birthday!

I noticed that... we will both turn 10 this week. Happy Birthday to us both! (make connections)

Questions:

Did you wish for anything special for your birthday?

What kind of birthday cake is your favorite?

You can create a schedule or sign up to have a certain number of students share each day or have a voluntary share each day.

Morning Meeting Activities

Morning Meetings activities are meant to be fun. The activity involves the whole class doing a short activity together, building class cohesion through active participation. Here are some class favorites with keeping social distancing in mind.

Fact or Fiction, or otherwise known as Two Truths and a Lie- One student says three things about themselves, 2 statements are facts and one is a lie. Classmates have to guess which statement is a lie. (Getting to Know You Activity)

Buzz- Students count from 1-100 and "buzz" on a specific multiple. (ex. Multiples of 6: 1,2,3,4,5,buzz,7,8,9,10,11,buzz,13,14,15,16,17,buzz...math activity)

Sparkle- Students stand 3-6 feet apart in a circle and the teacher announces a word. The students spell the word one letter per student. When the word has been spelled correctly, the next student in the circle waves his/her hands in the air and says "Sparkle!" A new word begins and follows the same way. *Students who spell the word incorrectly sit down.

Introduce some activities and then have your students practice and play them over and over. They'll soon have their favorites!

Morning Message

In Morning Message students develop language skills and learn about the events in the day ahead by reading and discussing a daily message posted on a chart or dry erase easel. The possibilities are endless with morning messages and are such a big part of our day. Make it a part of your daily routine that students greet you when they stagger in, unpack their belongings, and then respond to the Morning Message. I only allow 3 students at a time at the Morning Message whiteboard but due to social distancing, only one will respond at a time. That doesn't mean that students can't read it from afar and think ahead to respond quickly when it's their turn. This is something you'll have to teach and model.

I tie our morning message to the big ideas we are learning in class. Sometimes it revolves around a unit of study, theme, interest, book we are reading, subject area, holiday, event, etc. I write the morning message either before I leave for the day or as soon as I walk into the classroom in the morning. Either way, the Morning Message is always ready for my students to respond to every morning when they walk in.
Here are a few examples: More MUST-HAVE resources for Morning Meeting!

Morning Meeting will look a little different with social distancing but still can be done.

Morning Meeting is essential for building teacher-student relationships and classroom community during the first weeks of school (this is a must-do especially if we need to go back to remote learning

Morning Meeting has 4 components that should be introduced slowly during the first 6 weeks of school.

Be sure to check out the resources that will support you with implementing an effective Morning Meeting. I know you will love having Morning Meetings with your students and it will become an essential part of your day. Please follow social distancing guidelines to stop the spread.

Have any more ideas to share about having Morning Meeting with keeping social distancing in mind? Share in the comments.
Related Posts: Starting The Year Off Right With Responsive Classroom 3 Ways to Effectively Build Student Teacher Relationships Managing Student Behavior Responsive Classroom Style How To Use Positive Teacher Language To Empower Students
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How To Have a Morning Meeting With Social Distancing ~ For The Love of Teachers

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Going back to school is definitely going to look different in the fall. We will all need to do our part by following the guidelines to keep us all safe and healthy. But these guidelines should not affect having Morning Meetings to build teacher-student relationships and classroom community.

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Classroom setup ideas

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Where we learn matters. This truth has exploded as we have waded through the realities of emergency remote learning.

As a profession, we have honorably pivoted to meet the needs of students, but all of us have experienced the soft spots of our strategy. We have seen students lack access to technology and Wi-Fi. We have watched as students with additional challenges, including those with physical or learning disabilities, fade from technology-rich learning, and we have even seen our most driven students burn out from the daily grind of hours on video conferences and completing assignments online.

All of this has us eager to be back in the same physical space as our students as soon as possible. Nothing replaces proximity when it comes to fostering relationships and building trusted connections with students.

The realities of COVID-19 spreading in our communities without a vaccine or herd immunity means that a return to full schools without restrictions is simply out of our reach for many months. We will likely see students returning to school in shifts to classrooms that have been specifically designed to protect students and teachers. Cafeterias, gymnasiums, and libraries may be off limits. Practices we once took for granted, such as community supply stores, learning in groups and soft seating may be on hold for now. All of these things will stretch our ability to redesign our spaces so that students can explore, discover, and connect in meaningful ways.

As the number of things that remain out of our control grows (spacing of desks, movement in and between classes, scheduling), there are still a number space design considerations that we can control and which can allow our students to truly benefit from where they learn. Consider these five ways to craft your classroom in these unique moments when we need to balance the health and humanity of our spaces.

Signage and First Impressions

Returning to a school building for the first time since we were all jettisoned to emergency remote learning will be a stressful event. Many teachers and students haven't gathered in large groups since March, so this return to school will elicit a variety of emotions from everyone. To support students' emotional needs, it will be important to set the right tone with the signage that fills our spaces.

From the front doors of the school, through the hallways, and into our classrooms, do we have signage that cares for all or produces fear? Are we asking people to be a part of a responsible community or filling them with negative messages that lack empathy for the emotional stress of returning to school? There is definitely a need for everyone to understand the community health rules of a space, such as frequent hand washing and donning masks, but this doesn't have to be our leading message. Let all spaces acknowledge the reality, but stress belonging, community and the joy of being together again.

Optimizing the Perimeter

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments may have control over how we design the floor plan in our classrooms (i.e., six feet of space between desks, directional walking patterns, coordinated movement between spaces), educators have control over how we design the perimeter of our classrooms.

Fill the walls with only essential items for learning. During emergency remote learning, we have realized that students can learn without the anchor charts and inspirational posters on the wall. We shouldn't design a sterile space, but instead design with fresh eyes and ask these questions. Does having this item on the wall add to the visual clutter or support daily learning? Can I move more learning resources away from the front of the learning space to calm and focus students on presentations and content? In what ways, can I design with a color palette in mind that brings a coherence to the space? Answering these questions and focusing on the spaces that you can control will allow the classroom to be a place of normalcy during a time when all of the rest of school feels different.

Minimize Teacher Only Space

This was always a good idea, but with the mandated restrictions on space, we need to double down items that fill up space with no real purpose. Start by looking at the teacher-only space in the room-and if you don't know what spaces are teacher-only, ask students to go stand in spaces where they feel are implicitly off limits. This will give you a sense of what spaces have been removed from student use. If we are limited by the rule that only allows 10-15 people in a space, then every square foot matters. Consider ways to add 20-30 square feet back to the space available for students. This addition by subtraction will help give students some breathing room.

Movement and Choice

Intentional space design is anchored in the concepts of maximizing physical movement and providing students with choice over where they learn. This has resulted in the flexible, agile and active classroom efforts that had incredible momentum before COVID-19 disoriented all aspects of learning.

Learning science continues to show us that movement and choice are key to optimal learning. But in this sliver of life these optimal design elements must be put on hold to mitigate the risks of spreading the virus. Even so, we can't eliminate these elements in totality. Having students stand for 3-5 minutes behind their desks to listen to the teacher talk can keep the brain oxygenated and primed for learning. Giving students permission to stand along the sides or in the back of the room or even the chance to sit on the tops of their desks will promote choice and supply variation to a room that has been sterilized by its arrangement. In some locations, moving learning to an outdoor space is an option, and when available can provide the movement needed to greater engagement and joy to learning.

Space is Time and Time is Space

Space and time are interconnected, and when we talk about the aspects of space that we can control in these trying times, we should also talk about intentionally designing the time that we have with students. Face-to-face time shouldn't be a content blitz filled with the voice of the teacher, as most of this can happen in virtual learning; instead, use this time to connect and listen. Use in-class time to promote conversation and community. Use it to calm and lower stress. In the coming months, our time with students may not have daily consistency, so it will be essential to design the time in our physical spaces to support the whole child. It will also be a time to anchor learning in relevant, meaningful contexts. Sync time design and space design to support the academic and emotional needs of all students.

This will be a very non-linear return to our school buildings. In some locations, students will come to school with a new type of schedule. Their in-person learning may pause because of contagion or public health concern and then return to the physical space again. This cycle could happen many times throughout the upcoming school year. For other students and families, they will remain in a virtual only space because of their unique needs or the success that they have found in the virtual learning environment.

All of these variables will require educators to design with the flexibility that allows for students to fluidly move between physical and virtual learning spaces. Design with this reality in mind. Make sure that our digital learning spaces provide easy access to resources and learning tasks. Minimize the digital clutter in these spaces. Model the power of learning near natural light and bringing fresh air into the mix whenever possible, so that students carry this into their home learning spaces.

Where we learn matters, and as we consider the launch of the new school year, take time to listen to students, notice their needs and incorporate that in which we can't control into the design elements that we can control. With these efforts, we can heal, remain healthy and continue to bring a deep sense of humanity to our work to guide the learning for our students, students that are eager to be connected with their learning community again.

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What Does Good Classroom Design Look Like in the Age of Social Distancing? - EdSurge News

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Where we learn matters. This truth has exploded as we have waded through the realities of emergency remote learning. As a profession, we have honorably pivoted to meet the needs of students, but all of us have experienced the soft spots of our strategy. We have seen students lack access to technology and Wi-Fi.

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When students return to school, their day-to-day experiences will be dictated by social-distancing rules and recommendations from public health authorities. Long-established routines of how they learn and socialize will have to change.

Education Week spoke to more than a dozen experts, including public health officials, education leaders, and superintendents, to discuss how students' daily lives may look in this new reality.

Avoid the morning rush.

The minutes before the first bell when students stream, en masse, through the main entrance will slow to more of a trickle.

> Ideas to make it work: Assign students to use different entrances. Stagger drop-off processes, so students don't arrive all at once. Put tape marks on the floor where students will need to line up to indicate social distancing.

Ditch the lockers.

Health officials have recommended against letting students store items in lockers-especially if they share a locker with a classmate.

> Ideas to make it work: Some districts, like Pinellas County in Florida, may put as many textbooks as possible online, so lockers won't be needed.

Rearrange classrooms.

Six feet. That's the starting point for planning every space in the school. For classrooms, that means six feet of distance between desks and turning desks to face the same directionending, at least for the time being, the established practice of desks clustered together in groups, fostering student collaboration. This will be difficult to pull off in already-crowded classrooms.

> Ideas to make it work: Consider every space in your building, indoor and outdoor. Repurpose larger rooms, like the library or the auditorium, into additional classrooms. Ask teachers to pare down extra furniture and other items in their classrooms-like bookshelves, rugs, and comfortable seating-to accommodate more students. Schools might also consider separating students' desks with partitions to create a physical barrier.

Minimize movement.

Students might spend their entire day in the same classroom, with teachers moving from room to room.

> Ideas to make it work: Hold some elective courses online and prioritize core classes during in-person instruction.

Pay special attention to the most vulnerable students.

Know which students lost the most ground in their learning and struggled most in prolonged closures when only remote learning could be provided and make specific plans to support them.

> Ideas to make it work: If some virtual learning must continue as school buildings begin to reopen, students with disabilities, English-language learners, and students who don't have reliable access to online learning should receive priority to be in schools every day.

Banish shared school supplies.

Teachers will need to devise a new system of school supply distribution to adhere to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation to minimize the sharing of high-touch materials. This will require the most rethinking in the early grades where there's typically a communal supply of pencils, crayons, markers, and other materials.

> Ideas to make it work: Teachers can assign supplies to a single child or allow one group of children to use the supplies at a time, disinfecting between every use. Schools with enough resources can purchase and provide the extra supplies to avoid issues of inequity for students whose families can't afford to buy the materials.

Provide alternatives to science labs and other hands-on instruction.

Typically, students share equipment during laboratory experiments and work in close quarters, which can pose a safety risk.

> Ideas to make it work: National Science Teaching Association President Elizabeth Allan said teachers will have to consider alternatives to in-person experiments, including virtual reality and simulations, solo demonstrations by the teacher, and asking students to do some experiments at home. However, teachers must consider whether their students have the resources and support to safely perform any parts of the lab at home. Teachers might also have to pare down their curriculum to teach only the standards and avoid any "extras."

Serve lunch in classrooms.

The CDC recommends that schools serve meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria, while taking precautions to ensure the safety of children with food allergies.

> Ideas to make it work: Individually packaged meals can be provided instead of having serving lines that require students to congregate in close quarters and share serving utensils.

Reorganize recess.

Students will likely go to recess in staggered shifts, so there aren't too many children outside at once.

> Ideas to make it work: Some school leaders are considering assigning small clusters of playmates, so students only play with the same children each day. The CDC suggests that schools keep playgrounds closed, but if that's not possible, it recommends that schools stagger the use of the playground equipment and disinfect it in between uses. Students will need to wash or sanitize their hands before coming back inside.

Limit or pause extracurricular activities.

The CDC has recommended that schools cancel all extracurricular activities in the first phase of reopening, and then limit activities to those that can be done while maintaining social distancing.

For sports, the National Federation of State High School Associations, which writes the rules of competition for most high school athletics, has released guidelines on restarting athletic practices and competitions. The group based the three phases in its guidelines on the White House's reopening plan, which relaxes restrictions as the local rate of infection declines.

In the first phase, locker rooms should be closed, workouts should be conducted in pods, with the same five to 10 students always working out together, and students should avoid sharing balls during workouts. In the second phase, students should keep working out in pods, locker rooms can reopen if social distancing is maintained, and practices and competitions for lower-risk sports can resume, as can moderate-risk sports practices with some modifications. In phase three, there can be gatherings of up to 50 people both outdoors and indoors, competitions for moderate-risk sports can begin, and high-risk sports practices can begin with some modifications. In all phases, increased hygiene and sanitation measures will be critical. Student-athletes should wear face coverings in phase one and two, except during swimming, distance running, or other high-intensity aerobic activities.

Lower-risk sports include cross country (with staggered starts), golf, weightlifting, and sideline cheerleading. Moderate-risk sports include basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, gymnastics, tennis, girls' lacrosse, and seven-on-seven, non-contact football. High-risk sports include wrestling, football, boys' lacrosse, and competitive cheerleading.

For choir, students will have to engage in social distancing while singing. They should all be facing the same direction, spaced six feet apart, and be wearing masks. The Missouri Music Educators Association has recommended that conductors face the chorus 10 to 20 feet away from the first row of singers. Schools could consider installing a plexiglass shield in front of conductors or require them to wear goggles.

For band, students must use the same instrument for the entirety of the rehearsal, and those instruments should be properly cleaned and sanitized after every use. There could also be limitations on which instruments are safe to use. The Missouri Music Educators Association has said careful consideration should be given to teaching the flute, and the Taipei American School has restricted the use of brass and wind instruments.

For theatre performances, students might have to put on their shows in an empty room, if they're allowed to perform at all. At the Taipei American School, for instance, students performed "The Little Mermaid" in full costumes and masks with nobody in the audience. The performance was filmed so parents could watch at home.

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The New Routines for Students When Schools Reopen

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When students return to school, their day-to-day experiences will be dictated by social-distancing rules and recommendations from public health authorities. Long-established routines of how they learn and socialize will have to change. Education Week spoke to more than a dozen experts, including public health officials, education leaders, and superintendents, to discuss how students' daily lives may look in this new reality.