We can all agree that summer 2020 has had a very different feeling than the summers of years past, for everyone, but especially for Educators. On top of our daily concerns surrounding our health and safety, we’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and completely left in the dark about what the upcoming school year will look like.
I‘ve spent the last few weeks surveying the teacher community on Instagram. I posed the question, “As a teacher, what are your top concerns heading into the new school year?”
This question opened the door to multiple conversations about health concerns, anxiety, access to remote learning technology, and the availability of resources.
Here’s what our Educators say they need going into the 2020-2021 school year.
Teachers need to be heard. The guidelines for reopening schools are changing daily. The decisions being made for education right now are critical. The new school year has abnormal circumstances and we need to think outside of the box to meet the health and safety needs of our school communities. If you have not already, send a letter to your school board and voice your concerns.
Teachers need community. Do not feel like you are in this alone. Talk to your people, family members, friends, or other teachers, and get your feelings about back to school out in the open. Chances are someone nearby is feeling similarly. Talking about the things on your mind can make it a little easier to enjoy the last bit of summer. If you are looking for more tips about finding balance during the summer months, click here to read more ideas.
Teachers need resources. With remote learning, now more than ever, teachers are asking for resources -more technology to meet classroom demands, proper training for these specific programs and sites, and/or resources to supplement them. WeAreTeachers reports that over 50% of teachers are in need of more training to teach engaging remote lessons. In my own Instagram survey, educators responded that they need both access to resources and additional training for specific remote learning technology to feel more confident going into the new school year. That’s not to mention all of the other resources needed for students to return safely back in the classroom.
Here’s what you can do right now to meet those needs:
Don’t be afraid to express your concerns, your voice is important. Reach out to your school leadership and talk about your apprehensions.
Find teachers in your grade level on Instagram and follow along. They share tips and relatable content. If you’re not sure where to start, ask a teammate if they follow any great teacher accounts. (You can also follow @IgConnect4Edu on Instagram and on Facebook for educator accounts in all content areas.)
Check out my new website that features training videos, a resource library (including remotely learning resources), and a teacher community for collaboration. Click here to Connect and Educate!
Teachers are the ultimate problem solvers. For years we’ve been flexible and have learned to work with whatever resources are provided. No matter what scenario lies ahead or what obstacles we have to overcome, we’ve got this.
Casey Boehm is a first-grade teacher in northwest Ohio. Casey is passionate about using technology in the classroom and sharing ideas for organization. Find her on social media @OrganizeandEducate
No one knows what the upcoming school year will look like, thanks to coronavirus.What we do know, however, is that teachers and educational support professionals will need to be prepared for any scenario — schooling in person, hybrid classrooms, online learning, staggered scheduling, rotating teacher shifts, and more.
While there may not be much that you can control right now, you can do your best to prepare for the fall by reviewing what we already know about COVID-19 and applying that knowledge to your classroom plans.
If your school makes the decision to resume in-person classes, here are some guidelines issued by the CDC for schools (last updated May 19, 2020) and how you can prepare for them in the fall.
Social Distancing
The more time a student or staff member interacts with another, the higher the chance of contracting or passing on the virus. By now, we all know that that the term “social distancing” means staying at least 6 feet apart from one another, however, this may not be possible in your classroom. Before you get back into your classroom, take some time to consider ways that you can optimize your space by separating student desks, and workspaces the farthest that you can away from one another.
Respiratory Etiquette
It’s important for children to learn to sneeze and cough into their elbows, to help fight the spread of germs, including the virus that causes COVID-19. It is also important that hygiene supplies are placed close to each student, so that the potential virus spread is limited. Consider having multiple tissue stations placed around the room or have each child bring their own box that they can keep at their desk.
Face Masks
More and more cities are requiring face masks, and that may be the case for classrooms in the fall, especially for staff and older students. If masks become mandatory at your school you can either require students to bring their own, or make it fun and announce a mask theme for your entire class. You and students could even make your own and create a story around them. Remember this whole situation is just as hard on students as it is on adults; small actions like this have the potential to make their day a little brighter.
Health & Safety Messaging
The CDC recommends placing signs in highly visible areas, like entrances and restrooms, and your school may also require you to place them in your classroom. Pinterest has all kinds of hygiene posters that are free to print out and hang up! They also have hygiene lessons that teachers can easily incorporate into their lesson plans, to help remind younger students about the safety and importance of not spreading the virus.
Hand Hygiene
Students should wash their hands often for at least 20 seconds — especially if they have interacted with one another. When you sit down to lesson plan, keep in mind allowing time for more frequent and longer breaks to the restroom for handwashing. You should also have sanitizer (at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol) in multiple places in the room, readily available for all students, and/or ask students to bring their own.
Adequate Supplies
Along with having the correct sanitary supplies, you should also be prepared for the possibility that students will not be able to share school supplies with other students. Any crayons, markers, pencils, scissors, folders, books, etc. that are shared might have to be available to each student at their own desks. Take this into consideration when you are preparing supply lists for parents and when you are buying supplies for your classroom.
Cleaning & Disinfecting
If you are starting in-person classes in the fall, your school has also probably already started a cleaning and disinfecting regimen that will continue throughout the year. This may or may not require you to clean your own classroom; however, you should be prepared to do so. You will need to disinfect high-touch areas throughout the day like doorknobs, desks, hall-passes, and chairs. Try and disinfect as often as you can — between classes and at the end of the day — or create a schedule where the last ten minutes of class each student disinfects their own area.
Screening & Testing
As testing methods and standards continue to evolve, your school may adopt a screening and testing policy. Policies may include a protocol for temperature checks, guidelines for symptom screenings, and plans for rapid response to staff or students who exhibit signs of illness. Whatever protocol your school decides on, clear communications will be key to its success. Be prepared to stay informed on the plan, take steps outlined for educators, and communicate with parents as needed.
We may not know what this school year will look like, but we do know that our amazing teachers will do whatever they can to make it as enjoyable and “normal” as they can for our students.
Remember, if you can get through last spring, you can get through anything. Bring on back-to-school!
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Summer means free time and warm weather, but when you’re a teacher school to-dos and tasks can easily sneak back into your mind.
The summer months are a much needed time to rest and recharge – and you should do just that! But if you want to start preparing for next school year (and the unknowns that come with it), there are small steps you can take for a much easier back to school season.
Check out these three important tips on how you can relax and feel prepared for the upcoming school year:
1. Start to prep for August now!
This tip may sound daunting, but I promise it’s not. Each year I make myself a folder or bag of materials just for back to school – trust me, it will be a gift to yourself once August rolls around.
My “back to school bag” has items like the papers that I’ve sent home at open house, beginning of the year forms, and my first week of school activities.
When August rolls around and you can finally get back into your classroom, you can focus on getting it set up properly, labeling items with a new class list, and a million other things. When you pull out your bag of items you can quickly make copies and have a reminder of what you have sent home in the past; it is a huge time saver!
2. Keep an open mind about online learning.
Fall 2020 is full of unknowns and it will likely look and feel a lot different than past school years. Over the summer months, remember to be patient with your district and state and focus on what you can control, like getting more familiar with online learning.
One way you can learn and grow your comfort level with online learning is to join a Facebook group that relates to the Learning Management System (Google Classroom™, Canvas, etc.) your school uses, or a group that matches your grade level. Facebook groups are a great space to share resources and ask questions with other educators. It’s a good idea to join a few and find the one that best fits your needs; not all Facebook groups are created equal. NEA has a group all about navigating the changes in education. (If you are an early career educator in Ohio, be sure to check out the ONE Connects group.)
3. Rest and relax!
Easier said than done, I know. Summer goes by so quickly. Be sure you make the most of it and try not to stress out about the fall. When I am feeling overcome with thoughts and to-dos, I make a list. I write down all the things on my mind – the things I am worried about for next school year, the lessons I want to teach, the things I want to do this summer, etc. Once my thoughts are collected, I have an easier time relaxing. Just remember, all of these things are important, but don’t let them take up the summer!
After you write down your stressors and are feeling good, take some time for yourself and unwind. There are thousands of ways you can relax, but some of my favorites are evening walks with friends, bonfires, reading by the pool, and traveling! Be sure to leave a comment with your favorite way to relax over the summer!
Be sure to make the most of your summer by following these tips, so you are prepared for the best back to school!
Casey Boehm is a first-grade teacher in northwest Ohio. Casey is passionate about using technology in the classroom and sharing ideas for organization. Find her on social media @OrganizeandEducate
As school districts across the country work on reopening plans for the fall, most teachers are being left in the dark about what back to school will look like for the upcoming year.
A few have even taken to making (hilarious) memes about the rollercoaster the pandemic has had educators on since the beginning of spring.
Put a smile on your face and read our favorite Instagram memes made by teachers about their schools’ reopening plans below!
The reality of not knowing what your districts plans are:
Best teacher memes
When the first day of school inevitably rolls around:
This article is furnished by California Casualty. We do not own the right to any of the photos in this post. California Casualty has been providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Finding balance is the key to having a restful summer so that you can be recharged and ready to tackle a new school year in the fall.
Teachers’ schedules are busy, even during the summer. Between preparing things for next school year, doing tasks around the house that you’ve put off because of school, working another job, etc. finding balance may seem difficult. At the end of the day, the important thing is finding time for yourself between those tasks so you are still able to rest and enjoy your summer.
Create a routine for yourself this summer.
Routine and structure look different for everyone, but this helps me find balance throughout the entire year. For example, my daily routine varies during the summer months, but I know I feel better when I have a flexible schedule in place. I start my day with a cup of coffee and do something from my to-do list each day (most days- let’s be honest, some days were made for Netflix and PJs).
To stay productive and keep yourself in a routine, create a weekly list every Sunday to feel prepared for the week ahead. Start by creating a meal plan and then add in non-negotiables for each day (appointments, etc.). From there, you can go back and add in other items as needed. This can help you stay on track even when life doesn’t have a schedule!
If this is something you think would help you find balance in your day, you can download my printable template for free here or check out my vlog all about using Google Keep™ to create digital lists.
Enough about lists! Summer is also the best time of year to rest and relax.
No matter how small, try to take some time each day to do at least one thing a day for yourself. (If you need to, add this to your list.) This summer may look different with the current health guidelines, but there are still so many things you can do to rest and relax. Turn off your school brain, enjoy the summer with your family and friends, work on hobbies, do the things that you don’t have the time to do during the school year, and most importantly treat yourself.
Lastly, find balance this summer by remembering to practice self-care.
One of the best things you can do to care for yourself mentally is to clean out your social media. Personally, this is one of my favorite ways to care for myself and make sure I stay surrounded by positivity! Once or twice a year, I clean out my friends and other accounts that I follow on social media. This helps me ensure that I am surrounding myself with accounts that are bringing things I need to my feed- not negativity. If an account or friend stresses me out, I unfollow so I see less of their posts, or I unfriend altogether.
My favorite uplifting Instagram account is PositivelyPresent; check out Dani’s Instagram page for beautiful images that inspire, validate, and motivate. Dani’s page also has links to amazing other content.
All in all, take the time you need to make the most of your summer. Establish a routine for yourself, and don’t forget to take time for you!
You can do anything, but not everything. Balance is key. Happy summer!
Casey Boehm is a first-grade teacher in northwest Ohio. Casey is passionate about using technology in the classroom and sharing ideas for organization. Find her on social media @OrganizeandEducate
As a teacher, at this point you know summer vacation is practically a myth. Between lesson planning, reviewing curriculum, PD seminars, virtual meetings, etc. it can be hard to find time to relax. Even on the few days you aren’t planning and dealing with the uncertainty of the year ahead due to COVID-19, the thought of school is probably still on your mind.
Starting a (mostly) PD summer reading list is the best of both worlds, you can sit back and relax with a book, while still working on and developing your skills – whether you find yourself back in a classroom or teaching virtually in the fall.
Here are some books that should definitely be on your reading list this summer.
1. “I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything for Our Kids”
One day, third-grade teacher Kyle Schwartz asked her students to fill-in-the-blank in this sentence: “I wish my teacher knew _____.” The results astounded her. Some answers were humorous, others were heartbreaking-all were profoundly moving and enlightening. The results opened her eyes to the need for educators to understand the unique realities their students face in order to create an open, safe, and supportive place in the classroom. When Schwartz shared her experience online, #IWishMyTeacherKnew became an immediate worldwide viral phenomenon. Schwartz’s book tells the story of #IWishMyTeacherKnew, including many students’ emotional and insightful responses, and ultimately provides an invaluable guide for teachers, parents, and communities.
2. “Educated: A Memoir”
An unforgettable memoir about a young girl who kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a Ph.D. from Cambridge University. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far if there was still a way home.
3. “The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students”
Based on a collaboration dating back nearly a decade, the authors of The Behavior Code–a behavioral analyst and a child psychiatrist–reveal their systematic approach for deciphering causes and patterns of difficult student behaviors and matching them with proven strategies that get students back on track academically. This book includes user-friendly worksheets and other helpful resources for applying the authors’ approach. Teaching is an art, but it’s one that can be improved with science. Based on what we have learned in the field of psychology, The Behavior Code gives teachers the tools to transform the behavior patterns of some of their most challenging students. By using this essential book, teachers–instead of punishing or writing off troubled students–can get them onto a path for success.
4. “See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers”
Teaching is tough. And teachers, like the rest of the population, aren’t perfect. Yet good teaching happens, and great teachers continue to inspire and educate generations of students. See Me After Class helps those great teachers of the future to survive the classroom long enough to become great. Fueled by hundreds of hilarious–and sometimes shocking–tales from the teachers who lived them, Elden provides tips and strategies that deal head-on with the challenges that aren’t covered in new-teacher training. Lessons can go wrong. Parents may yell at you. Sunday evenings will sometimes be accompanied by the dreaded countdown to Monday morning. As a veteran teacher, Elden offers funny, practical, and honest advice, to help teachers walk through the doors of their classrooms day after day with clarity, confidence…and sanity!
5. “Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves”
Becoming a skilled anti-bias teacher is a journey. With this volume’s practical guidance, you’ll grow in your ability to identify, confront, and eliminate barriers of prejudice, misinformation, and bias about specific aspects of personal and social identity. Most important, you’ll find tips for helping staff and children learn to respect each other, themselves, and all people. Over the last three decades, educators across the nation and around the world have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in anti-bias work. The result is a richer and more nuanced articulation of what is important in anti-bias education. Revolving around four core goals―identity, diversity, justice, and activism―individual chapters focus on culture and language, racial identity, family structures, gender identity, economic class, different abilities, and more.
6. “Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator”
Based on Dave Burgess’s popular “Outrageous Teaching” and “Teach Like a PIRATE” seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator. You’ll learn how to: -Tap into and dramatically increase your passion as a teacher -Develop outrageously engaging lessons that draw students in like a magnet -Establish rapport and a sense of camaraderie in your classroom -Transform your class into a life-changing experience for your students This groundbreaking inspirational manifesto contains over 30 hooks specially designed to captivate your class and 170 brainstorming questions that will skyrocket your creativity. Once you learn the Teach Like a PIRATE system, you’ll never look at your role as an educator the same again.
7. “If You Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers”
Packed with words of wisdom and inspiration, this is one book no administrator or teacher should be without. Dr. Neila Connors presents practical tips to improve school climate, communicate with parents and students, teach to the standards, and make a difference in students’ lives. All this in an enjoyable, easy-to-read format, If You Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students will leave you laughing your way to a more successful school year.
8. “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die”
In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds—from the infamous “kidney theft ring” hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony—draw their power from the same six traits. Made to Stick will transform the way you communicate. It’s a fast-paced tour of success stories (and failures): the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who drank a glass of bacteria to prove a point about stomach ulcers; the charities who make use of the Mother Teresa Effect; the elementary-school teacher whose simulation actually prevented racial prejudice. Provocative, eye-opening, and often surprisingly funny, Made to Stick shows us the vital principles of winning ideas—and tells us how we can apply these rules to making our own messages stick.
9. “Start With Joy: Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness”
Start with Joy: Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness links what we know from the science of happiness with what we know about effective literacy instruction. By examining characters in the books they read, children develop empathy for others and come to understand that we all struggle, and we all love. When given a choice about what to write, children express hopes, fears, and reactions to life’s experiences. Literacy learning is full of opportunities for students to learn tools to live a happy life. This book honors the adventure that learning is meant to be. By infusing school days with happiness, teachers can support children as they become stronger readers, writers, and thinkers, while also helping them learn that strength comes from challenge, and joy comes from leading a purposeful life.
10. “Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do”
How do we talk about bias? How do we address racial and gender disparities and inequities? What role do our institutions play in creating, maintaining, and magnifying those inequities? What role do we play? With a perspective that is at once scientific, investigative, and informed by personal experience, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt offers us the language and courage we need to face one of the biggest and most troubling issues of our time. She exposes bias at all levels of society—in our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. Yet she also offers us tools to address it. Eberhardt shows us how we can be vulnerable to bias but not doomed to live under its grip.
11. “What School Could Be: Insights and Inspiration from Teachers Across America”
During the 2016 school year, innovation expert Ted Dintersmith took an unprecedented trip across America. He visited all fifty states, seeking to raise awareness about the urgent need to reimagine education to prepare students for the career and citizenship demands of an increasingly-innovative world. As he traveled, though, Dintersmith met innovative teachers all across the country — teachers doing extraordinary things in ordinary settings, creating innovative classrooms where children learn deeply and joyously. Each day, these students are engaged and inspired by their teachers, who in turn help children develop purpose, agency, essential skillsets and mindsets, and deep knowledge. The insights of these teachers offer a vision of what school could be, and a model for how to help schools achieve it.
12. “Reading the Rainbow: LQBTQ- Inclusive Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Classroom”
The authors show how expanding the English language arts curriculum to include representations of LGBTQ people and themes will benefit all students, allowing them to participate in a truly inclusive classroom. The text describes three different approaches that address the limitations, pressures, and possibilities that teachers in various contexts face around these topics. The authors make clear what LGBTQ-inclusive literacy teaching can look like in practice, including what teachers might say and how students might respond. “Reading the Rainbow” is designed to be interactive, providing readers with opportunities to consider these new approaches with respect to their own classrooms and traditional literacy instruction.
13. “Teaching to Empower: Taking Action to Foster Student Agency, Self-Confidence, and Collaboration”
We want students to master academic standards, and we want them to be confident, adaptive, and socially responsible. Above all, we want them to find meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Achieving these goals requires a concerted focus on the social-emotional skills that empower students in and beyond the classroom. In Teaching to Empower, Debbie Zacarian and Michael Silverstone explore what an empowered student looks like in our increasingly diverse contemporary schools and prompt educators to examine their own relationship to empowerment. The book’s evidence-based strategies and authentic examples show you how to foster an inclusive culture of agency, self-confidence, inclusion, and collaboration that will give each of your students—regardless of race, culture, language, socioeconomic status, abilities, sexuality, or gender—the opportunity, responsibility, and tools to become an active learner, thoughtful community member, and engaged global citizen.
What are you reading this summer?
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