Encouraging students to move and exercise during the school day is of extreme importance. In this blog post, I will share a few ways that I help my students move intentionally during the school day.
Why Is This Important?
Students need to move throughout the day in order to help keep them engaged in learning. Movement during the school day is also necessary to help focus on physical and mental health with exercise. Movement activities can be woven into the school day during lesson planning as well as done spontaneously. Either way, it’s another way for students to have fun.
Some Ways I Get My Students Moving
Move to Music
I give students some instructions to follow while moving to music. When the music is playing, students choose how to move and exercise. Some simply walk around the classroom, while others do repeated exercises such as Jumping Jacks or running on the spot. Others choose to dance! When the music stops however, they need to complete a task and then freeze. Here is a sample task: “When the music stops, use movement to create an A-B-B pattern. Repeat it three times, then freeze.” Some students may do “clap-snap-snap” three times to complete the task, then freeze on the spot. We continue this for 3 – 5 times.
I usually use the music feature at www.classdojo.com when we do “Move to Music” each day.
Relay Races Outdoors
Nothing gets my students going like having relay races on the field outside of our school! For those who are competitive, it’s a great way to engage them with something they enjoy. I put my class into two groups and form two lines. Two students at a time run to a designated location and back. Those waiting to run eagerly cheer on both students. Before all of this even starts, we discuss how this is a way we can exercise in a fun way outdoors. It is not about finding the fastest runner, or about winning. It’s about moving around and helping to stay healthy. For most, it’s just seen as having fun.
Go Noodle
Have you ever used the exercise videos and brain breaks at www.gonoodle.com? If you haven’t, please check it out! Teachers can sign up for a free account and have access to many videos that promote movement in the classroom. Exercises can be as short as 1 – 2 minutes or even 20 minutes. My students enjoy using several of these exercises throughout the day. I personally enjoy joining them, too.
Obstacle Challenges
Students love a challenge! Creating short and simple obstacles outdoors surely helps my class exercise and build their stamina. A sample obstacle course can include the following:
Run to the tree (or designated spot).
Use a Hula Hoop for ten seconds.
Run to another designated spot.
Toss a bean bag into a bucket.
Return to the starting point.
Obstacle courses are great for my Grade 1 or 2 students because I can change the courses easily to help make challenges different and engaging.
Gym Equipment Bin
Each recess break, students can choose to take out an item from our gym equipment bin. Examples of what is kept in the bin are listed below:
A Virtual Classroom is a Necessary Part of Teaching These Days
Having a virtual classroom has helped educators continue teaching students during this global pandemic. There are many platforms that can be used when setting one up for your class. I will share some details on how I introduced one this past school year.
What is a Virtual Classroom?
A virtual classroom is digital platform that allows you to interact with your class using various tools such as video conferencing in real time, screen sharing, a digital whiteboard, etc. Some examples of such platforms include Google Meet™ and Zoom™.
*non-affiliate / unsponsored links*
Why is This Important?
We always knew that the 21st century would allow us to see increased development in technology.
I always knew that in my teaching career, I would get to learn about various digital platforms and teach my students about them, too.
What I didn’t expect, however, was just how quickly we would have to pivot from in-person learning to online learning over the past year and a half. I never dreamed of such a scenario when I started teaching! I know many others feel the same way.
After relying on using a virtual classroom to teach for months at a time over the past little while, I have seen the benefits of having one ready to go at the start of the school year. It is now normalized for me: when I plan for my new class each school year going forward, I will be planning for the set-up of a physical classroom and an online space. This is one of the many new norms in education that has come out of the pandemic for many. It has been used most recently out of great necessity, yet I see so many benefits of introducing it right from the start.
Great for in-person teaching or distance learning!
How I Introduced My Virtual Classroom Last Year
I used Zoom™ as my platform of choice for my virtual classroom. When we needed to pivot to online learning this past year, I was eager to have my Grade 1 students get accustomed to using it. I was happy to find out that a few students were a bit familiar with it already because they got to “talk to Grandma” or “chat with cousins” with it at home. They never used it independently, however, and that’s why we needed to develop a system to help them learn how to use it…quickly.
After learning the ins and outs of the platform, I was ready to do some test runs in the physical classroom. One day during class time in November 2020, my class and I decided to try it out. I logged onto Zoom™ and connected my computer to the SmartBoard. Using two other computers in the classroom, I helped two students log onto Zoom™, too. The rest of the students had so much fun watching their classmates pop-up on the large screen. I think they were more excited to see them both on the screen and in-person at the same time! We then talked about how this platform is another way we can learn together this year, if needed. It was the first time I used the term virtual classroom with them. I was happy to see how excited they were, too. One student remarked, “Can we use our Virtual Classroom tomorrow?”
After seeing how eager they were to talk about our new virtual classroom with their parents, I decided to have an online meeting with families and students the following week. The goal was for parents to help students practice connecting to the Virtual Classroom from home (in case we needed to use it…which of course, we did, two months later). Parents and students got to do a few “challenges” such as muting the microphone, joining and leaving the meeting, etc. They were so excited to learn about it and felt prepared to use it.
Read more Teacher Tips!
What Will I Do Differently This Year?
It’s now September 2021. As I prepare to start with a new group of students next week, I intend to teach my new class about our physical classroom space and also talk about the virtual classroom, too. I never thought of doing this on the first day of school a few years back, but since this is now part of my teaching, I think it’s important to share that with them, too.
I won’t be showing them how to use Zoom™ on the first day, but I will be introducing them to our Google Classroom™ on the screen. It is a blank canvas right now, but I want them to know that it will be filled with learning opportunities over the year.
I truly enjoy using digital platforms in the classroom. It’s gratifying to see my early primary students using them with confidence, too! In a future blog post, I will share some of the digital platforms and resources that have been most helpful to me in my teaching over the past year. Stay tuned!
Questions to Consider
If you taught online last year, what virtual classroom did you use to teach?
Have you used various platforms as virtual classrooms before? If so, which one did you prefer and why?
What was the learning curve like for you and your students?
Creating classroom roles for your students is a great way to help build community. When everyone has a classroom role, students learn many valuable lessons and skills.
*non-affiliate / unsponsored links*
Why Is This Important?
A wonderful message that teachers love to share is that every person counts. Every person is valuable and important. When classroom roles are established, the classroom can function more smoothly once everyone helps. Students begin to see each other as a team and learn how to work together in a respectful way.
When classroom roles are used, students are also given the chance to work on the following:
I love making special titles! Here are just a few examples of them:
Pencil Manager
Line Leader
Student Leaders of the Day
Clean-Up Crew
Helping Hands
Volume Monitors
Chair Checker
Safety Inspector
Student Librarians
It’s also nice to involve students in deciding what kinds of jobs can help the classroom run smoothly. It’s a great brainstorming activity at the start of the school year.
Teacher Tips from Minds to Grow
Some Great Finds!
Here are some awesome visuals to help organize classroom roles. They surely caught my eye! The following items are not sponsored, but ones that you may find of interest, too!
Game Time: Help Students Learn Routines through Play
Students enjoy learning when it is fun and feels like a game! Here’s a quick way to help your students learn routines in your classroom.
Why is this Important?
Children in the early grades are just beginning to learn how to follow instructions. They need lots of opportunities to understand what is expected. Students need to know what behaviours or practices should look like, sound like, etc.
How Can Students Learn Routines through Play?
Let’s say you are teaching a new routine such as, “How to Sharpen Your Pencil”. I like to teach the word, procedure early in the school year. This is helpful because I want my class to realize that we are all working on following little procedures that can help our classroom run smoothly. I also tell them that we will first pretend how to do the routine so that we can understand what to do.
Introduce the routine (e.g., “We are going to learn how to sharpen a pencil safely in our classroom.”)
2. Explain why it’s important. Share why it is important to know this routine and follow it (e.g., for writing; stay safe)
3. Share the procedure for the routine in short steps. I project these short steps on a screen. I read them aloud.
4. Teacher acts it out. I model each step.
5. Invite 2 – 3 students to act it out in front of the whole class. The class quietly observes their peers.
6. Class celebrates their peers’ actions. Invite the observing peers to talk about what they saw. I ask them to tell the “actors” what they did well. Some use the steps that are projected on the screen as a reference when sharing what was done well (e.g., “I really liked how you walked safely with your pencil to the sharpener.”).
6. Each student gets the chance to act it out, too! Dedicate time to give all students a chance to act it out. It doesn’t have to be in front of the whole class. Depending on the routine, I will let all students act it out independently in their work space, or better yet, in small groups.
7. Act it out as a class (if applicable). If the routine is to be followed by the entire class (e.g., lining up for lunch), then I will also have the students act it out several times until we are proud of what we can do together.
Have You Tried This Before?
My students have the best time learning some routines by acting out what it shouldn’t look like or sound like in our classroom! Students quickly volunteer to show what a routine may look like if done incorrectly. There are usually many people who wish to act this out in front of the class! We are usually laughing by the end of it and it’s great!
It gives the students some fun moments. It also gives me the opportunity to open meaningful discussion about what the routine should look like or why it may not be best to follow the procedure in such a way.
My class has the best time learning some routines by acting out what it shouldn’t look like or sound like in our classroom!
Let’s prepare for the new school year with some back to school tips! Whether you teach a primary or junior grade, the first few weeks of school are vital in creating a presence and the tempo of your classroom.
Back to School: Ready Or Not…It’s Here!
How have you spent your summer break? Hopefully, it’s been one that included some downtime and rest. Some fun and relaxation. Why? Simply because it was needed. The summer break has been super necessary after the year we’ve had in teaching. I sincerely hope you had some days to rest and rejuvenate in ways that are special for you.
Despite it being summer though, the reality is that it’s time to prepare for back to school. Where I live, we go back to school in early September. Now that it is August, planning for the new school year is definitely on my mind.
Back to School: The Early Years of Teaching
As a new teacher, I focused on back to school preparations in a different way. I spent time planning for teaching, assessing, and evaluation, but spent a whole lot of time physically preparing my classroom. I remember dedicating so much time making sure my bulletin boards, decor, and other visuals were “just right”.
Today I still see this is an important part of getting ready to go back to school. In fact, it’s exciting and fun to include this in the process! After experiencing many first days of school however, I have realized a few key areas that truly benefit my class and my teaching overall each year.
Back to School Tips
In this post, I’m going to share six back to school tips that I look forward to following again as I prepare for my new class. Perhaps they may be helpful for you, too!
Back to School Tip #1: Plan Your Year
This is key to having a successful school year! Back to school preparations for me starts with drafting an outline of my school year. Even though we already know that plans may change as we get to know our students’ needs and interests, it’s still important to have a map of where we are going in our learning.
The last year has especially demanded change in our teaching due to the pandemic. For that reason, I will be planning my year with the most useful aspects of my in-person and distance learning experiences.
This is What I do When Planning My Year
1. Plan my Year-at-a-Glance: I write down the topics in each subject that I need to cover. I then break down the topics by term and/or month. To organize my year, I use a simple digital teacher planner that I created. I like using it because I can easily make changes as needed. For more details, you can read about it here.
2. Focus on curriculum expectations or standards: I look through the curriculum documents. The expectations helps me plan my units in more detail.
3. Outline Unit Plans for Each Subject for the Year: This is where I use my curriculum expectations to focus on what I will cover in each subject. This process also helps me think about lessons, key strategies, assessments, and activities that will drive my teaching.
4. Reporting Statements: Yes, I know it’s only back to school time, yet part of preparing me for a successful year includes this task. Planning with the end in mind helps me stay organized. It also guides my assessments and lowers stress levels (slightly) when it’s time to write report cards.
5. Brainstorm Activities for the First Weeks of School: Time to think about getting to know my new students! It’s best to think about ways to help each new class start their year in a great way! I use the first few weeks of school to strictly get to know my students and learn about what they know and need to know.
Before going onto the next tip, I just have to mention that my planning doesn’t stop at the above! Once I assess the needs of my students, I start breaking down my plans for the term even further: I start using a digital Week-at-a-Glance planner. This helps me organize my subjects by week. I change it as needed as I work with my class and learn more about their needs and interests.
Back to School Tip #2: Prepare Your Classroom
As mentioned earlier, this was perhaps my favourite part of back to school preparations in my early days of teaching! It’s so much fun to set up the physical classroom. Setting up your classroom as an inviting space is a great way to make a new class feel welcomed and engaged. Putting lots of thought into the physical set-up of the classroom can also help maximize learning experiences and opportunities, too.
Quick lesson from my experience: My classroom used to be set-up (e.g., bulletin boards, visuals around the classroom) to my liking each year. I enjoyed seeing how it came together…until one year, I couldn’t do the same. Due to a late arrival from a summer trip, I had only one day to set-up the classroom, compared to a full week or more I had in the past. That year, my students came into a more plain classroom (bare bulletin boards!), but you know what? It was the best classroom set-up ever! My students and I enjoyed decorating our space together. It was a complete mindset shift and one that I continue to follow each year since that time. The blank canvas approach has been a winning approach for me and one that I honestly didn’t think would work at the onset!
My students enjoyed decorating and setting up our space together. It was a complete mindset shift and one that I continue to do each year since that time.
Now that distance learning is something we are familiar with, I plan on setting up my Virtual Classroom spaces as well (e.g., Google Classroom, Seesaw, class website, Zoom meetings, etc.) This is a fairly new variable in our teaching and so I think it’s important for me to reflect on what worked well (and what didn’t) last year while teaching online.
Back to School Tip #3: Welcome Your Students
Okay, it’s the first day of school and it’s time to welcome your new students! I can feel the excitement and nerves in the children, families, and teachers already! Here are a few quick ways that I like to welcome students back to school during that first week:
“I’m happy you’re here!” Letting my students know that I’m thrilled to have them in my class helps ease some nerves for students and families. The truth is, I’m thrilled to get to work with them! I also like to let them know that I feel nervous, too.
Name Games and Activities: Since teachers and students alike are learning many new names, games and activities are one of my favourite ways to start off the new school year. Celebrating students’ names helps them feel valued and helps to build a classroom community. Invite students to say their names aloud several times (during the first few weeks) so that teachers and peers can learn to respectfully say each others’ names. One of the sweetest things a person can hear is their name as it was intended to sound. Young students can also work on writing their own name in different ways. I even have a challenge after the first two weeks of school! My students line up, while one of their peers (who wishes to participate) tries to name all (or as many) of their new classmates. If they get to a person and can’t recall the name, they simply whisper, “What’s your name again?” and the person replies, then the game continues.
Great Back to School Read Aloud: A Letter From Your teacher: On the First Day of School (By Shannon Olsen) *non-affiliate / unsponsored link*
Back to School Tip #4: Create a Classroom Community
Teachers and students spend a lot of time together each school day. For this reason, it’s critical that I create a classroom community where students feel safe, happy, and open to learning and growing.
While students are learning each other’s names during the early days and weeks of school, it’s also fun to learn more about each other! Doing class surveys and small-group and paired activities give room for students to learn more about the peers they will be working with each day.
Student voice is very important in all that we do. When students take responsibility for caring for their peers and classroom, it makes them feel important and helpful to others (e.g., Line Leader, Pencil Manager, etc.)
Building community can also happen when students have opportunities to share pieces about their lives with the class. Intentionally giving students time to talk with their peers often during the day helps the learning process and is a necessary building block for strengthening reading and writing skills!
Intentionally giving students time to talk with their peers often during the day helps the learning process and is a necessary building block for strengthening reading and writing skills!
Back to School Tip #5: Act Out Routines
Teaching routines may seem mundane at times, but they are a necessary back to school feature. Once my students know what to do, when to do it, and why it’s being done, then my classroom has a better chance of running more smoothly.
I give my students opportunities to act out the routines we are learning. Children learn so much through play and so when they are all given the chance to practice the behaviours we hope to see, they understand the expectations even better.
Some of the routines that I make sure we act out are:
Lining up outside of and entering the school, classroom, etc.
How to organize your desk
What to do after entering the classroom in the morning, after lunch, etc.
How to ask questions or share answers during large group discussions
It is important for me as a teacher to also create that classroom community feeling with each student’s family. Greeting parents before or after school is just a nice start. At the end of the first week of school, I send a general “sunshine note” to each student’s family. Parents enjoy receiving positive messages about their children’s progress in class. I have had great experiences reaching out to parents throughout the year in order to share some good news about their child in class.
By the end of that first week, it is also my goal to have the email addresses and/or phone numbers from parents so that I can update them whenever necessary.
Last year was the first time I set up a class website because it was easy for parents to see quick updates from our class on a whole. It is something I will incorporate again this year.
Time To Start!
Back to School time is always a super busy one. Using these six tips can help you to be ready for this year’s start. Here’s a quick recap of the six tips to help you prepare for back to school:
Plan Your Year
Prepare Your Classroom
Welcome Your Students
Create a Classroom Community
Act Out Routines
Connect with Families
I’m looking forward to planning out my year and meeting my new class. I wish you all the best in your upcoming school year. May it be a fulfilling one for you, your students, and their families!
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