Mini Classroom Makeover: Student Desks

This year has been anything but normal.  I feel like I have to put an extra effort into everything I do to make school fun and interesting for my kindergarteners.  All the activities I have done in the past have to be modified and tweaked so that they follow the guidelines set for in person classes, but I have managed to make everything work.  One thing that I had to do in my classroom that I didn't like is space my desks apart from one another.

I know this is nothing new to the world we are currently living in.  Desks are spread apart in classrooms across the United States and teachers are making it work.  It definitely isn't my favorite classroom arrangement for kindergarten, but I have also managed to make it work for my students.  I typically like to have them grouped together so that they can socialize.  Making friends, sharing, and helping others are some very important skills that kids learn and practice in kindergarten and is easily done when the students are close together.  This year, we had to learn to do these things with our desks spread apart.

The day I spread my desks apart, separating my students on their own "island," I hated it.  It made my classroom so ugly and it lost that inviting feeling it usually has.  I had to do something!  My KinderTeam had seen a teacher in a Facebook group paint her students desks and we all loved the idea, but just weren't sure how to tackle this project!  We didn't know what kind or how much paint we would need, the decision of colors seemed so overwhelming, and we kinda just sat on the idea for a while.  Then, one day, Mrs. Fletcher surprised us all by being brave and purchasing the paint.  She talked it over with the paint specialist at Lowe's and they recommended what kind of paint for us to use.  So, she dove right in and bought it in six awesome colors!  Here is the paint we used.

Mrs. Fletcher was so excited about painting her desks and ready to dive right in.  I figured I would let her go ahead and paint first as a trial run so we could see how it worked out.  😂  She used all six colors and her desks turned out great!  Here is a before and after of what hers looked like.

Before Painting

💜💛💚💙The Finished Project💙💚💛💜

Next, Mrs. McGinnis painted hers.  She decided to use all 6 colors as well and her desks turned out so pretty and colorful as well!  This really brightened up the classrooms and made them look so cheerful!  Here is how her project turned out.

I painted my desks last.  After seeing theirs, which I loved, I decided to make mine a little different and just use three colors instead of all six.  I tried to think ahead to the future and what color schemes I might like next school year because this isn't a project I plan to repeat. 😂

The painting didn't take nearly as long as I expected.  I did have to put two coats of paint on the desks, except the yellow, which needed three coats.  I absolutely loved the way they turned out.  My classroom was feeling so dark and dreary and this little bit of paint changed the whole feel of the classroom!  I felt so proud of this little project once it was finished and I'm so glad we decided to do it.  It made my happy place so much happier!  Below is a before and after of the desks in my classroom.

The "Blah" Before Pic--Ignore all the messes in the background.  Students were just coming in for a transition day that was planned on the fly. lol

Painting the desks seemed like such a small thing, but the kids were so excited when they came into the classroom on their first full day of face-to-face learning.  They loved that their desk was a special color and it personalized the space for them.  I can't believe I waited so long to do this little project!

💜💛💙My Finished Desks💙💛💜

What sorts of things have you done in your classroom to perk it up this school year?  Do you have any special little projects that you have completed to brighten your classroom space?

Back to School-Face to Face

Wow!  Just wow!  Last week was a whirlwind, but I survived it!  After 3 weeks of virtual learning, my students came to school in person for the first time this year.  It was all very surreal. We had a solid start into our content and virtual learning, but we had to pump the brakes a little so I could teach rules and procedures and switch gears now that we are face-to-face.  We don't know how long this will last or if we will have to switch back to virtual learning, so I'm trying my best to get them settled in quickly so we can be flexible, just in case we have to switch back and forth.

I have several students who did not have any sort of school or daycare experience, so they didn't know how to walk in a line, share, sit at a desk or table, etc.  For anyone that hasn't taught kinder before, this is a very big deal!  My students were eager and ready to learn, yet we had to slow things down and learn some back to school basics that I'm not typically teaching in October.

So many things are different at school, so there were lots of new procedures to teach.  Here are some major changes we have at school this year.

1. Everyone must have their temperature checked before entering the school.  I think this is pretty standard for a lot of places these days, but it still seems odd.

2.We have a restroom in our classroom, so it must be sanitized after each student uses it. Yes, this takes a lot of time.

3. Our classroom has sanitizer and soap everywhere so it's easily accessible to the kids.

4. Students must be socially distanced during breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria.  To do this, all tables were removed from the cafeteria and replaced with desks that were placed 6 feet apart.  Also, this wasn't enough space to accommodate our students, so desks were also placed 6 feet apart in the gym and meals are served there.

5. There are directional arrows in the hallways as well as lines marking 6 feet apart to help with lining up and walking down the hall.

6. Masks must be worn by students in grades 1-6.  Lower grades do not have to wear a mask, but they must be socially distanced.

7. During car rider pickups (after buses have left), students must wait in the classroom until their name is called.  In previous years, we had them all grouped together in one place and waiting together.  This has made my work day a little longer, but each day has gotten better and we have gotten the kids to their vehicles in an efficient manner.

One of my students, ready for lunch!

There are tons of other smaller changes happening, but those are the biggies that I feel affect us the most.  Things are very different, but the staff at my school is working hard to make the most of it.  Overall, the kids are so excited to be back in school!  Many haven't seen their friends in more than 6 months!  In the midst of the madness, I've tried my best to find some sense of normalcy for my students.  Here's a little of what I'm doing.

1. Procedures, Procedures, Procedures

Kids need the structure.  I need the structure.  And with all the extra health and safety concerns we have right now, there isn't room for error.  We started our procedures on day one and practice them everyday.  We have procedures for everything!  There are procedures for wearing masks, lining up, walking in line, sitting down for breakfast and lunch, bathroom and playground sanitizing, etc.  It all felt very overwhelming the first day, but once we started working it all into our routine, it just feels like part of our day now.

2. Mask Wearing

My kindergarten students aren't "required" to wear masks, however they must be socially distanced at all times if not wearing one.  This just isn't possible given the number of students I have attending in person and the space I have in my classroom.  Fortunately, I was able to space their desks out so that if they are sitting properly (facing forward, bottom in their seat, and feet on the floor under their desk) then they can remove their mask.  If they turn around in their seat or get up and move, they must mask up.  This has allowed them to take a break from the mask so they can breathe and their poor little ears aren't hurting from the mask wearing.  I basically moved all furniture to the walls, then had to remove my classroom rug, and this gave me the optimum amount of space in my classroom to spread out their desks.  It's definitely not our typical kindergarten classroom, but it has allowed them to be present, listen to a story at their desk without having to wear a mask, and work at their desk without having to wear a mask.

3. Playground Time

From day one, all my students wanted to know about was the playground! lol  They can't wait to get out there and play with their new friends.  I'm thankful that we are able to go out and play.  My students do have to wear their mask out on the playground.  Each child sanitizes their hands before and after using the playground equipment. I also have to sanitize the equipment.  It's a little extra work, but totally worth the extra effort for these kids to get this social interaction!

4. Restroom Use

I have a restroom in my classroom.  So, I have to keep a restroom log each time a student uses the restroom.  The log has their names and lists the times they went.  Also, the restroom must be sanitized after each student uses it.  I'll be the first to admit that this is a headache.  But, if it keeps my kiddos safe and healthy, I'll do it with a smile!  Of course, extra sanitizing and cleaning such as this cuts into instructional time, but this is something that is out of my control.

5. Student Supplies

All students have individual supplies in their desk.  I typically keep the scissors and glue out of their desks because issues always arise, but I don't have much of a choice this year.  They each have a crayon box with crayons, scissors, glue sticks, pencils, highlighters, and a dry erase marker.  Nobody is allowed to share or be in someone else's crayon box.  In their desk, they also have an additional crayon box that is their math toolkit and contains an individual supply of math manipulatives.  In addition, there is a basket in their desk that we use to put their work when completed.  The basket also hold their writing journal and stays in their desk at all times.  I will be the first to admit that this is a lot of supplies to manage for them.  It's still a work in progress to have them to get out only what they need and not play with the other supplies.  These are all supplies that they need access to and this ensures that nobody is sharing anything and they all have their own.

Hard at work and taking a mask break!

My biggest piece of advice to teachers going back to school in person is to sanitize everything and be prepared with procedures for everything.  There will be plenty of things that come up along the way and might catch you off guard, but you'll figure it out and get through it.  There is a learning curve, so give it a few days and things will smooth out.  You'll find a way to do most of the things you're used to doing, you might just need to modify and do a little extra prep work.  

I feel like this post is all over the place.  There is so much to take in and I'm still digesting everything from last week.  Good luck to all teachers going back in person and to those of you already rocking it!  You are amazing and you can do it!  How is your school year going?  Do you have any tips or tricks for in person learning to share with us?  Any specific questions for me?

We now take our group photos with masks on! 😷

Five Things I Have Learned During Virtual Learning

"Teachers Can Do Virtually Anything"

Virtual learning has been a real experience.  It has been very different than I ever expected, but I’ve already learned so much along the way.  I officially have one full week under my belt and feel like I’m finally starting to get in the groove of things.  I’ve spent some time reflecting this weekend, and here are five big things I have learned through this process.

 

1.    Virtual Learning is NOTHING like in-person learning.  I teach kindergarten, so this is my perspective.  I’m sure teachers from other grades might have different opinions than I do, but I think we can all agree that teaching and learning just isn’t the same online through a computer.  I am having to be concerned about the screen time of my students, conscious about the type of work I am assigning because they may not have help at home, and there’s just no way to fit a whole day of lessons we would typically do in the classroom, into a day of virtual teaching.  I am currently teaching live 1.5 hours per day (divided into 2 sessions) and trying to hit the big topics and slide other content in through various books during read alouds.  I would much rather have my kiddos all day at school so we could learn all the fun stuff, I could help them with their work and hands on activities, and we would have limited screen time because we were busy engaging in the real world with each other.

 

2.    The mute button is amazing. 😂  I never thought I’d see myself teaching the first days of school online.  It definitely wasn’t easy and it was so strange to teach the students how to mute and unmute….and then see their mouths move and them wiggling all over the screen but never hear a sound. Hahaha  I could literally just continue with the story and not have to stop and redirect anyone 100 times on the first day!  It was so strange to be teaching and reading in a completely silent room.  After I got through a couple more days, I really began to appreciate that mute button more and more.  I mean this in the nicest way possible because I'd love nothing more than to have them all in my classroom, gathered around a rug where we could truly dive into a good book and discuss the story as we read along together.

 

3.    There is some amazing technology out there.  We are required to go into work and teach from school.  I was so thrilled to do this after what we went through in the spring and trying to teach from home.  We got these awesome boards that have been amazing as we are trying to teach through this pandemic, but they will also be awesome when the students get back to school.  My Google Meets look huge on this screen, so I can really see my student’s faces.  I have a remote that will let me zoom in and out, as well as move the camera around.  So I can teach from anywhere in the room!

 

I love my new technology!  It is amazing!

4.    I miss real life interaction with my students.  I am thankful for our daily Google Meets.  I am thankful for their smiling faces and getting to see their eyes light up as they learn something new or realize they know the answer to a question.  I am thankful that I am able to hear their sweet voices and giggles.  But, nothing can replace actually being in the classroom with these amazing kiddos everyday.  I miss the hugs, the high fives, the dancing and singing together (it’s just not the same virtually), doing all our letter activities, and so much more!  A computer will never be able to replace the feel-good feelings you get from real human interaction—especially with my sweet kinderbabies! 💕

 

5.    Virtual teaching is waaaaaay more work than anyone realizes.  Several “outsiders” have commented that I must not be doing much work right or that my job must be really easy right now.  Those people are CRAZY!  There are so many rounds of trial and error to figure out what works for the students in my class.  The prep work is killer and everything we plan to do for each week has to be meticulously planned ahead of time.  We are doing weekly material pickups, so if we don’t have everything planned exactly right, then it will completely throw off my lesson plans for the week!  Last week felt like running a marathon to prep for the upcoming week.  If we end up doing this long term, I hope things get a little easier as we go along.  But, last week just about took me out!

 

So how is Virtual Learning going for you?  Any tips, tricks, or successes you’d like to share?  Feedback from my parents has been very positive and that is truly keeping me going until I can get my kinderbabies back in person.  I am so thankful for this three-day weekend to rest and recover, but I’m ready to dive right back in on Tuesday and see what kind of progress I can make with my class!

Gearing Up For Virtual Learning and a FREEBIE!

This is the week!  It’s getting real!  I have spent the last few weeks prepping my students, their parents, and myself and now it’s time to actually do this virtual learning stuff!  Tomorrow is the first official day of school, but it feels so different than it ever has.  My school is actually doing a Drive Thru event for the first day, so I’m excited that I’ll get to see the kiddos on their first day and we can put off this virtual learning a little longer!

           

We are using Google Classroom for virtual learning and most of my families were not familiar with it at all.  So, I did a Parent Orientation Meeting via Google Meet so they could try logging into their child’s account and joining a meeting.  It was great for a technology trial run to see what kind of issues there might be.  My parents were all rock stars and didn’t seem to have any technology issues!  I was the one that had trouble, so it delayed the start of the meeting by a few minutes.  But, I was glad it happened so that I could fix the issue and it shouldn’t happen anymore!

That face you make when your technology finally cooperates, you catch your breath, and can conduct your meeting! 😂 Also, don't mind my messy background--I didn't plan to host my meeting here, but I had to switch to my laptop at the last minute so that Google Meet would work.

During the meeting, one of the most common concerns I got was from parents asking what they can do to help their child be successful during virtual learning.  I made a list of some things that we discussed during the parent meeting and decided to make a printable that I was able to put in their folders that I will send home with them tomorrow.  You can download a copy of the freebie from my TPT store by clicking here.

            

This school year will definitely be one that goes down in history.  There will be lots of hiccups along the way I’m sure, but I am anxious to get back to doing what I love the most—teaching!  I pray that this all passes and we are back into the classroom soon!  Good luck to everyone else having their first day this week and I'll be back to update you soon on my first few days!

Meeting My Students

This has been a BIG week!  We officially found out that we will be starting the school year out virtually.  Fortunately, I will be able to go in to my classroom to teach and I am sooooo thankful for that.  We are getting some new technology, so hopefully that makes this go a little smoother for us as well.  I’m still wrapping my head around the idea of starting kindergarten out virtually and working out details, but I’m sure it will still turn out to be an amazing year! 

Here I am administering screenings in my Kentucky Wildcats mask!  I ordered one with the clear front, but I couldn't breathe! 😂

Wednesday was my first official day back to work.  It was also the day I got to start meeting my students….in person!!!!  I scheduled a time for each of them to come in individually because I had some screenings I have to do.  Since they aren’t going to get a real “first day of school” experience, I decided to jazz things up a little and try to make it special.  This was their first time seeing the classroom, so I made sure their desk had a name tag (it was a bit short notice, so I just had to use what I had but it worked) and they had a cubby with a name tag.  They were so excited because they got to check out their space and sit at their desk.  On their desk, I had a clipboard with a form their parents had to fill out, a flip book with back to school information, a book about kindergarten, a few cute little gifts, and a cookie.

The kiddos were so excited to sit at their own desk!

I wanted everything to look fun so they would have something to be excited about.  I am so fortunate to have some amazing support from my community and had enough books donated to give each of my students a fun kindergarten book!  I made an Amazon wish list, posted it on Facebook, and so many people purchased a book to help my kindergarteners have a special year! 💙 

One of the fun little gifts on their desk was water beads.  The labels were a FREEBIE from TPT and turned out super cute! I can’t wait to hear what the kids think about it once they get their little bag home to try it out.  The bubbles were purchased from the dollar store (6 for $1!) and the tag was also a FREEBIE on TPT.  So, that was another cheap gift that turned out cute!  And I’ve got to give credit to my Kinderbestie, Mrs. McGinnis, for hooking us up with the bubbles!

The flipbook is something I love to do every year.  There are many versions out there, but this is the one I have been using the last few years.  I can get all kinds of info out to the parents in a fun way, and it only uses half the paper!  It always looks exciting and colorful, so they actually want to read it!  It’s such a great way to get a lot of information out there and answer some of those questions they all have.  You can get this one from Chalk & Apples here on TPT.

The last item on their desk was the beautiful cookie that was made by a local bakery.  They turned out so cute and I just thought it would be fun for them to have an individually wrapped treat!  Thank you so much for Karen’s Konfections for making those, especially on such short notice!  All her goodies are amazing, so click the link to check her out on Facebook!

Excited about that cookie! 🍪

I also wanted the students to be able to have a special photo memento since they won't get a traditional "first day of school" picture.  So I threw this backdrop up on my whiteboard, printed some colorful letters, blew up some balloons, and it all turned out perfect!

Posing in front of the cute backdrop I created from bulletin board paper and balloons!

My first few days back were very busy, but it did my heart well to be back in my classroom and meet my Kinderbabies!  I’m excited for this new school year and now it’s time to get back to planning for Virtual Learning. 💻

Back to School Postcards

When August rolls around, I instantly go into back to school mode!  As a child, sending and receiving mail fascinated me and I had pen pals all over the world.  Nothing was more exciting to me than taking a trip to the post office and finding a postcard or letter for me in our mailbox!  So, one of my most favorite things I like to do before school starts is send my students a postcard.

I usually mix it up and do a different postcard each school year.  I have a feeling that this year is going to be unlike any other we have experienced before, so I wanted to do something extra special to get my students excited about kindergarten.  I found this super cute postcard template on TPT for FREE and the students get to scratch off a section to reveal who their teacher is!  It’s so fun and I couldn’t pass up this postcard by Teaching the Tinies.  I got the scratch off sticker from Amazon to place over my face!

Of course handwritten notes are super special, but I decided to type a note for my students and include something a little extra.  We won’t be getting to have KinderCamp or Open House this year, so I’m brainstorming to find new ways to connect with my students.  This year, I decided to make a video of me reading them a story from the classroom.  I’m not a video professional by any means and I hate watching and hearing myself, but the kids don’t care about all that stuff! Lol  I wanted a way to introduce myself to them, let them see their classroom, and start this year out in a positive manner!

I recorded a video of me reading “The Pigeon Has to Go to School” by Mo Willems. This is a super cute story with just enough silliness to help relieve some of the anxieties the kids might have about coming to kindergarten.  After I made the video of me reading the story, I uploaded it and created a QR code that I put on the postcard.  So now, when they get it in the mail, they can scan the QR code and go straight to watch the video! 

Their postcards should start delivering today, so I’m excited to hear if they enjoyed getting some mail.  Our first day of school is scheduled for August 26^th, so I’m going to keep working in my classroom and getting things ready until then.  I love having a new, fresh start each year and plan to remain positive no matter if we really get to go back to school in person, or end up going all virtual like many school districts across Kentucky are starting to do.  I’m sending prayers  to all the teachers across our nation and I hope you have an amazing school year as well!