School year kick off

 I was uber nervous to start this year...more than normal.

Children are resilient and adaptable.  90-95% just wear their masks like it has always been part of their wardrobe.  Everyone is wearing a mask correctly.  They sit at desks and try their best. Super impressive!

Internet Safety is a big topic at the start of the year for my curriculum.

1st and 2nd grade used the digital citizen curriculum by Common Sense Media.

In addition, 2nd grade did a project to make snowflake gears.  Those now are in our main hallway.

3rd and 4th grade made concept mind maps about Internet Safety as well completed a "Think Outside the Box" project.  Again, these are hanging in a long lost hallway at the senior high school, but student work hanging is a big important part of the school experience.

Here are a few of our mind maps...we talked about what personal information not to share, what to do/not to do when "gaming", and how to interact with peers. Then these are posted in TEAMS for future reference. We use TEAMS to share information. 

Day 1 did a slightly different lesson, but I decided to modify for the other days! I will upload another image for those students.

Kindergarten are learning about STEAM.  We have done tin foil boats, shapes, and bubble wands.  We have had to work through not sharing and social distancing, but it is working out!

Superheroes

 I left yesterday exhausted and was greeted by this sign as I left the parking lot!

This made me smile and feel appreciated.

Then today, I got a bag with an awesome "pick me up" note and a new mask!

I don't see myself as a superhero, but maybe I should add a cape to my attire ;)

Thank you to my fellow teachers, aides, administrators, school employees, parents, and students...together it will be a SUPER 2020 school year.

Back to School

I waited until this week to dive into deep back to school preparations.  My lesson plans written in my mind for weeks...but setting up desks (6 feet apart), displays, materials, etc. waited for final decisions and last minute changes.

I am in awe of the time, dedication, and creativity of my colleagues and peers. Color coding, numbering, spacing, and more... I want to tour every room for a myriad of ideas. 

As the week went on, I realized small "errors" or "oversights".  I wrote an awesome outdoor lesson plan for Kindergarten, but nothing for a rainy day!  Now this is all ready too!

Yesterday was a long final push to be ready to teach in a pandemic.  Schedules printed, desks numbered, extra desks found, etc...

Plus I had a few garden tasks to attend to. Set up a cart for kindergarten.  Send emails.  The list could go on.

One task, that I have been chipping away at for two weeks was taking a high school lab and converting it to a functional elementary STEAM room.  It works...I think student art work will make it feel like home! More displays are coming after week 1 since students aren't in yet! Still feels sterile.

Outside the room...fall theme for grade 3 and 4

They will sit at every other chair in 3rd and 4th grade!

Plus my regular STEAM room needed set up too!

I got new updated windows yesterday!

My 1st and 2nd graders will be here. Kindergarten will be in their homeroom or outside for STEAM. 

The new floor will be awesome.  More sanitary and easier to use in STEAM.

After 7 hours, I returned home tired but with more to do. Now came the material preparation.  I love pattern blocks, but no more centers meant a total change in set up.  My own children and I bagged up 15 bags with the necessary pieces (10 green triangles, 2 orange squares, 10 blue parallelograms, 8 red trapezoids, etc...)

I used some new pattern block templates from Jessica's Corner of Cyberspace. Those had to be printed and copied then placed into plastic sheet protectors for sanitary purposes.

Then came bags of LEGOS.  We created 51 snack baggies of LEGOS.  So that they can be washed and sanitized each night!  I am hoping that students will embrace the mini LEGO challenges.

Here are 25 baggies

Playing/practicing/modeling how to tackle this challenge.

I created a ship with my baggie!

I am comparing this weekend to the last few days before having a new baby.  There are the doubts, fears, concerns, excitement, anticipation, etc.... You re-read and re-think...you try to disconnect but can't totally separate from the new reality waiting in the near future.  This may be a crazy analogy or comparison but my honest feelings.

Look for updates and some pictures in about 10 days (I see students for 5 days...so I won't see my 5th group until Monday, September 14).  

I am ready to face a new year...new challenges...hopefully with creativity, grace, and patience.

Off to start fall 2020! I can't wait to see my students for the 1st time in nearly 6 months.

We can do this!