If I could describe this first week of school in one word, I would say interesting. Having my whole classroom rolling on a little cart helped me change my whole perspective about my teaching.
Here are my main takeaways from my first week back in school.
1. Get that microphone.
Before getting a cart or a backpack, I am going to ask you to consider getting a portable microphone. It has made a huge difference for me, honestly I can’t see myself teaching without it. Some students tell me they can hear me all the way across the hallway, so that gives you an idea of the volume of this microphone.
PS: Thank you Sra. Speedy for the wonderful idea!
2. Make your cart practical before making it pretty.
Here is a short breakdown of how I am organizing my cart. I am lucky to have a schedule that allows me to have some time to get ready. If I have a class right after another I make sure to have all my stuff ready.
If I forget something, it is ok. We are all learning and adapting to this new routine. My coworkers are very supportive if I arrive 2 minutes late.
3. Find out your cart essentials.
Some things might work and some might not. Do NOT keep things in your cart just because they look pretty. I had to put away one or three things because they were not working for me and honestly, they were just taking up space.
Here are the items that have become my essentials:
Cart: I got my little 3 tier cart from Michael’s store. If you are going to assemble it yourself, start from the bottom. Unless you enjoy assembling things multiple times :).
Magnetic hooks: These magnetic hooks are a game changer! Not only they are super strong and sturdy, but if your cart is made of metal they can hold that extra set of flashcards you might be forgetting.
Book bins: This is an obvious one, but in case you are wondering, I got my book bins from Lakeshore Learning. These are great to keep worksheets and flashcards in place.
Magnetic bins: I got these from Target last year, but Lakeshore Learning has similar magnetic bins to keep supplies handy.
Magnetic clips: Every now and then I have some flashcards to hang on the board. These magnetic clips are very helpful for this task.
Magnetic pockets: I use these magnetic pockets to keep magnets, extra masks, chargers, clips and more supplies in my cart
Other items in my cart:
- snacks
- water bottle
- hand sanitizer (each classroom has one)
- CalmOptics glasses
- bluetooth speaker
- laptop riser stand
- Hue document camera
4. Check on your students and build relationships
I haven’t seen my students in five months. This is my 8th year working in my school. I’ve seen these kids grow from preschoolers to middle school students. I love them, the same way I love my own children. For this reason, my first lesson is devoted to check on them.
Here are some of my questions for my students on our first class:
- Greet them and tell them how much I missed them.
- Ask them about their new homeroom teachers and classmates.
- Ask them what they liked the most about my class our previous year.
- Ask them what are their expectations from me as a teacher.
- Ask them what activities they would like to do this year.
During our first class, we did an “All about me” activity. Students guessed questions about their teacher and of course we had a chance to review some of our vocabulary from last year. The main purpose of this activity was for my students to get to know me better, know me as a person before knowing me as a teacher.
We also had a short dance break to Juan Luis Guerra’s “Kitipun” (we rocked those bachata dance moves while following our 6 feet social distance rule)
If you are interested in my “Todo sobre mi” presentation, you can get it for free here
I hope this post helps you a little bit to go back to your classroom and know what to expect. As always, you know you can email me or contact me if you have questions or need words of encouragement. Give yourself some grace and remember, you’ve got this!
The links previously shared are not affiliated links.
If you’d like to check my affiliated Amazon links, please check Teacher Essentials Idea List. Thank you so much.
Resources you might like
Subject Pronouns in Spanish Worksheets Pronombres Personales
These worksheets are NO PREP. Just print and go. These are great to review or introduce Subject pronouns in your Spanish class. Answer keys are included in this resource.
THIS RESOURCE DOES NOT INCLUDE “VOSOTROS”
In this resource you will find:
- 1 Vocabulary worksheet with translation.
- 1 Vocabulary worksheet with no translation.
- 1 Word puzzle
- 1 Color by code worksheet (Singular Subject Pronouns)
- 1 Color by code worksheet (Plural Subject Pronouns)
- 1 Color by code worksheet (Singular & Plural Subject Pronouns)
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