Operation: Back to School [in a pandemic]

Back to school time is seriously our favorite time of year.  It’s truly our love languages.  Kaysin loves the purging, cleaning, and reorganizing of things. Robyn loves to decorate and coordinate things flawlessly.  Together, we make a great team.

But… going back to school *in a pandemic* just isn’t the same.  It has been much harder to get in the spirit.  Early in the summer, we went to school late at night (just like we always do) and started our normal process:  empty out cabinets, throw junk away, reorganize, etc.  Then, we both had the grand idea to completely change classroom themes, so we had to take down bulletin boards and decorations and replace it.  We were in our element and loving life. Soon after though, the reality of the new school year set in, and we just haven’t been the same since.

This year looks vastly different for us, just like it does for just about everyone.  We may get whiplash from trying to keep up with all of the changes.  First day jitters seem to be shifting into permanent anxiety.  But, we are going to make the most of it.  Grit and grace - that is our mantra this year.  We are going to have to get gritty and push harder than ever before.  And man… we are going to need some major grace from our families, each other, our students, and our administrators (and we need to be willing to GIVE grace just as freely as we receive it).  Grit and grace will get us through this year, and it could still be the best one yet.

We have a unique vantage point because we work in the same school, in the same grade level, but we are doing different things for 2020.  Kaysin is the district’s virtual teacher for all of first grade and has a child entering kindergarten this year.  Robyn is teaching in-person - hopefully social-distanced enough for the firsties to be able to take their masks off frequently throughout the day.  That’s the plan right now.

Our district has been extremely proactive and forward-thinking about how to get prepared and we are SO proud.  Kaysin, along with other teachers across the district in grades K-5, has worked all summer recording instructional videos and organizing instructional materials in preparation for virtual learners.  Curriculum maps have been created, weekly assignments organized, weekly student checklists prepared, and videos for core instruction recorded in advance.  The plan is to provide families that choose virtual learning with an online hub for videos, if they have internet access, and a paper packet of materials to complete alongside the videos.  Kaysin will make contact with families at least weekly, and will hold 2 short live teaching sessions daily for supplemental work.  If families do not have internet access, we are providing them with a jump drive with the videos, plus a device if needed.  Materials will be distributed in 2-3 week chunks, so families don’t get overwhelmed.

Robyn on our first day back!

Kaysin after the first day back!

Robyn will work in the classroom with real-life, masked kiddos.  She will stay on pace with the curriculum map designed by the teachers that worked together over the summer.  Grading will need to be the same, but the delivery of the instruction will be up to Robyn and her expertise.  Robyn will have packets and jump drives prepared, in case we have a state-mandated shutdown and have to switch to NTI.  

It’s all a lot to digest.  We still have over a week before school starts, so we are finding our groove and figuring out ways to bring out our back to school spirit.  There are just so many unknowns and so many questions. 

At the end of the day, we know we are going to FLOCK IT this year just by doing these 3 things:  

 

1. Stay positive! - Try to stay in situations and around people that are going to promote positive thinking.  Avoid negative people and toxic situations at all costs.  If you have a moment of weakness, find your flock, talk it out (or cry it out, if you’re like us), and let it go.  You can find the good in there somewhere!

2. Be flexible! - It's okay to be frustrated, but take a deep breath, and pivot.  Teachers are the most flexible professionals out there.  You've got this!

3. Show up and SHOW OUT! - Your classroom may look different and you may have new rules and procedures but YOU are still there.  Use your skills and tools to continue making learning fun and growing those babies.  They deserve it and so do you! 

We will keep you guys updated as we embark on this new teaching adventure.  We hope to use our unique situation to shed light from different viewpoints.

The Magic of Math Stations

 Do you believe in magic?!
      

Abracadabra!  HA!  If only it were that easy, right?!  We do believe that math stations are magical, but do not be fooled - it's not as easy as it sounds.

So, why do we think math stations are superior to traditional whole group math instruction?  The better question is:  WHY NOT?  We noticed that we innately envisioned our first grade classrooms as incorporating small group reading instruction.  However, teaching math in small groups seemed daunting and impossible.  How would we know what to teach?  Where do we get meaningful data?  Those things are naturally embedded in our understanding of developing young readers.  And you know what?  Our kids were KILLING IT in reading.  But math seemed stagnant.  We kept having the same conversations:  What are we doing differently in reading?  Why aren't we meeting our kids' needs in math?  Where are the gaps?  

Enter:  Diving in head first.  Holy Moly - were we overwhelmed?!  New questions popped up, like:  How do we keep the kids from interrupting?  What should we be teaching?  What math activities can they do independently?  What can I give up in my day to make sure I have time for math stations?  Do we stick to our canned curriculum, or should we let some of it go?  It was never-ending questions that led to amazing PLC meetings.

Your why may be different than ours, but these are reasons why math stations became a necessity for us:

1. Students were bored during whole group instruction.  Some weren't ready at all, so they tuned us out and did everything to avoid learning.  Others were bored because they were already proficient.
2. Differentiation is built-in.  We knew we would be able to meet various ability levels AND capitalize on preferred learning styles.
3. Soft skills are embedded.  Soft skills are a big push at our school, and cooperative learning, problem solving, and social skills development are all vital aspects of successful math stations.
4. Like we mentioned before, data proved a need.  Classroom data, benchmark data, standardized data - they were all telling the same story.

After a few years of trial and error, we have found a system that works for us.  We still have days where we are frustrated, but those are few and far between.  

We have approximately 45 minutes each day for stations, so we have four 10-minute stations. 

• M - Math Practice on Technology
• A - At Your Seat
• T - Math with the Teacher
• H - Hands on Math Games

Math Practice on Technology - Students in our classrooms have access to Chromebooks.  We use websites like:  Prodigy(free), Study Island, Moby Max, and Zearn (free).

At Your Seat - Students work independently on paper/pencil work.  This is a great time for students to demonstrate understanding of new concepts and show retention of previous learning.  We created a daily independent practice sheet, with just enough work to keep them busy during the allotted time.  

Math with the Teacher - This is the heart of the lesson, and your time with these small groups should be sacred.  We use this time to individualize instruction based on student needs (both individually and as a group).  We base our instruction around the critical skills we have developed alongside stations.  This is also a good time to give students common assessments, allowing them to be more focused and for us to observe their problem solving in action.  (If you're interested in learning more about critical skills and common assessment, check out our 3 part series on IGTV @flockstarteachers).

          

Hands on Games - If we're being honest, this is the hardest to manage, but it is always a favorite for the students.  At this station students play games that are rooted in number sense skills.  Most games are appropriate for 2-3 players, so it provides time for developmentally appropriate [and needed] social interaction with peers.  In order for students to be able to independently run this station, we oftentimes introduce and practice the games during our Math with the Teacher station.  We try to switch games out often to keep students engaged and challenged.

We can't wait to hear about how you incorporate math stations in your classroom.  

Keep Flockin' It!

-Kaysin & Robyn

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