There will be more trial and error this year….never stop growing.
I had incredibly high hopes that school would be opening with an obvious contrast to last year. Sadly some of the same things that make being a Teacher of the Deaf are still going to be in place. I survived it last year and I know I can do it again.
I have individual record keeping for each student. Keeping pages seperate and clean.
My prep this year is a bit different because I put some things in place last year that will make this years start up smoother and less foreign. These strategies and tools were a bit overwhelming last year, but as with most things repetition and familiarity can make things easier. Being ready and really being ready is my current challenge.
Carts
Using some vinyl is colorful, easy and a fun way to make a cart your own!
Last year to limit cross contamination, between students, I put cute metal carts in multiple buildings. These carts were stocked with whatever we would need for sessions. They were incredibly helpful, organized and mobile. I love that having something on wheels. If I was relocated for the day, I would just wheel my materials away! This was efficient and also great for my back. I love to joke that I sometimes feel like I’m carrying the world. In actuality, I am at times…my little world, but none the less little worlds get heavy, so portability was key last year and will be again.
Materials and tools were easy to find, use and move!
Masks
Masks don’t seem to be going away, so wearing the right one is essential for surviving a school day. I started 2020 with all the cute fabric and clear panel masks I could find or afford. I played around with all the varieties and discovered my students preferred the disposable masks for their auditory needs. Let be clear…no pun intended, that the clear panel masks were great in theory, but were awful in application.
Options from 2020-2021.
So, with that being my findings from last year I have already stocked up on disposable masks. I hate throwing them away, but they are the best fit for my situation, so disposable it is. I really wore black a lot, so I decided to try out cute patterned disposable masks. My hope is pretty patterns will lift my mood.
These were an online purchase.
Tools and Resources
For years I have carried my tool bag that has all the things we need for sessions, but with the worry and possibility of cross contamination I made sure every student had individual and dedicated tools and materials. I will be doing this again this year. It is more for me to set up, but it was mentally worth it. My students also felt safe and secure, so that was a total win.
Each student now has their own.
In the spring I took my carts and materials home. Everything has been reviewed, evaluated and wiped for this new year. I do this every June, but never before have I spent such mental thought about who gets what resources. Will I be able to rotate (with sanitization) and should I consider buying duplicates? I decided that I wasn’t going to purchase duplicates, but find ways to make what I have work. I’m sure there will be further posts on how I am making everything work in 2021-2022.
Using a ring or small boxes keep things seperate.
Going forward and trying to not dwell on all of the difficulties and negativity from last year. I am hoping 21-22 will be positive, productive and peaceful. Here’s to another year.
Whether you are a first year teacher or a 25 year plus veteran, this September is going to hold so many emotions, plans and ideas. The unknown of what will be has been keeping me up at night. Feeling like I can not see what will be is very frustrating. I can typically plan and forecast what I need to do to start up my year, but I too am treading into uncertain waters, not knowing if I going to be able to swim, tread or sink.
My plan is to go into the 20-21 school year with a glass half full mind set. I have been trying to get what I can ready. Planning always makes me feel better, so doing something familiar is helping ease the frustration and lack of mental sight. Small steps feel like I am accomplishing something with control.
Keeping things safe and seperate is my first priority. I have separated out materials per student on my caseload. This seemed simple and manageable. I also wanted to keep these things seperate per building, so I bought craft carts and dolled them up a bit to place in my buildings. I find that the foot print is not intrusive in the spaces I work and easily rolled out of the way if need be. They are also easy to store materials on. One level per student or different materials per shelf. I added positive messages to uplift my students and myself.
This cart was from Michael’s. So easy to assemble and add vinyl words.
My plan book and my “bible” are something I am always reviewing and revisiting. I have gone digital and went back to paper last year. I think I am keeping with a paper planner again this year. This has been a great debate in my mind. Will it be easier? Will it be light? Will it be sanitary? After much consideration I think I am going to try it and if need be I can go digital. I love planbook on chalk.com, but there is something about writing things down, so paper it is. I will also add stickers and quotes. These are purely for me, but every little bit of cute or positivity I can add to my resources and tools makes me feel good.
Picked this up on clearance. I haven’t used a store planner in ten plus years…hope I like it.
I have been working on getting my organizational tools and logs together. I have been creating new dividers to pop into my “bible” binder. I decided to go with a granny chic look this year. I very much enjoy this peony clip art I purchased 2 years ago that has just been waiting to be used. My hope is pretty and fresh flowers will be visually uplifting when the snow flies.
I will print these on light cardstock and laminate for 10 month durability.
Google classroom is the thing right now. So many of us are using it to some extent. I am dabbling with it and trying to decide what is going in. I know once I have committed more to the process in will share in a post. I am still very new to it. My hope and a prayer is it will be a helpful tool in assisting my students and their parents when they are home following a hybrid schedule.
Found resources on Teachers Pay Teachers. Check out Roots and Wings.
I think the biggest take away as I head into the next few weeks is that I need to give myself and everyone I interact with some grace. Remote, distance, hybrid, in person learning are the key words that seem to swirl around me and in my head, so I know if I am having moments where I need to remember to breathe and accept the new normal, then the people around me are in the same situation. There will be times where I feel like this new way of teaching my students is horrible or just too much, but thankfully my tribe is amazing, I will look to them for support and in turn be a shoulder or ear to lean on.
Small things that are “normal”, things I can control and the familiar faces (even masked) should get me through. I always am looking to change things up or improve how I teach. I think the universe has heard and responded! I need to take this bizarre opportunity and just go with it, control my little bubble and focus on the positives.
Let me just start be saying I am trying my best to wrap my head around what I need to do to get myself ready for the 20-21 school year. If you read my blog regularly you know I am very transparent about being a teacher that never wants to be in a rut or stale, so I welcome revamping my routines, outlook, approach and materials, but a pandemic is a tad bit different and difficult. This list is what I have been thinking about. I am sure as the weeks go by there will be even more things to to consider.
Being an itinerant teacher has it’s pros and cons. Traveling can be exhausting some days or completely liberating, but thinking about traveling lately has really made me stop and think about how I am going to protect myself and everyone in my multiple buildings. Going in and out will look and feel different for sure. My hope is with some thought and tweaking I will be able to do what I enjoy. With these adjustments and accommodations I think I will eventually settle into a new normal.
One
Depending on your set up, travel and caseload I think no matter how you think about putting materials together this year, everything needs to be seperate for each student. This will be work in the beginning, but once you have everything divided and contained it will offer you better control and peace of mind.
I know that at a couple of my schools I am able to leave materials. I love this because it saves time, pressure off my back and allows my kiddos to feel like I am part of the day… not just this woman that flies in and out. This being said, and I know I have said it in previous posts, leaving things can not be just one bin this year. I am going to have to have seperate containers or ways of keeping individual materials and tools safe for my students.
Two
Seperate bags for seperate schools may be a healthy option if you can not leave materials and tools. I would consider bags that can be laundered or wiped down. Have one bag per building or per student. I had one bag per student maybe year two or three of itinerant teaching. I liked the ease of just grab and go, knowing everything I needed was in each bag.
Three
Masks for a day. I know that going back will require wearing a mask. I have been stockpiling some cute fabric masks. I personally do not enjoy the disposable masks. They don’t fit right, which makes me anxious when I wear them, so fabric is my personal preference. I recommend trying out various sizes and styles before you head back to school in person.
I know clear panel masks are what most of us consider a great option for our students. Lip reading is essential. Make sure the mask fits, your can function and is anti-fog. I purchased shields for myself. I still waiting on the complete school plan about what will and will not be allowed. I am just trying to be prepared for my options.
Four
The idea of materials for each student started to overwhelm me. Paper resources can obviously be per student, but what about my games and hands on manipulatives? I started to think of ways to divided up a game or deck of cards. I am with only one student at a time, so I obviously don’t need 30 riddle cards or 20 listening comprehension cards, so taking some and storing in little containers or zip bags will work. Germs will be separate. When I am ready to switch materials it should be easy to sanitize and rotate.
If you play games with boards putting some Press n Seal wrap over the board can protect the paper surface from sanitizing between students. Clear contact paper is another option for covering and preserving materials.
I recommend laminating anything that may not survive constant sanitation. I have a home laminator that I use when I am working from home or have the genius idea to laminate at 10:30 on a school night. I have purchased various weights of lamination. Sometimes I want a light, flexible hold and sometimes I want a heavy, strong hold. Lamination at school typically tends to be a lighter level , so needing the heavy stuff is why I did some Amazon clicking.
Five
Sanitizer or alcohol is an obvious thing to have. My hope is wherever you are working schools will provide this. I am sure there will be something distributed, but if you are fussy about smell….like me, maybe consider getting sanitizer that agrees with your skin and sense of smell.
Six
Cleaning Supplies are most likely not going to be an issue at schools. Be sure you find out what is being used or acceptable if you want a personal stash. I know I intend to have a zip bag with small sized cleaning products in my car incase I need to manage things to my liking. We all are going to come at returning to school at different perspectives and comfort levels. I am not a germaphobe or scared to return, but I know I need to be mindful and respectful of my peers and students who do not have the same feelings or outlook I have.
Seven
In a secondary zip bag I am going to have for myself: baby wipes, alcohol spray bottle, tissues and tic tacs. I know on a typical day o like to refresh. Depending on the students you serve or the amount of buildings you enter…I normally just feel like I need to scrub up, so I just want to be prepared for new feelings or the new reality of being itinerant.
These items will be just for me, especially the tic tacs. I have found a mint or mint gum helps my anxiety when I am wearing a mask for and extended time. I am not sure if it the smell or the oral stimulation that distracts me from the gross dislike I have for wearing a mask. I despise anything touching my face. This mask wearing will be a challenge, but my hope is I become a more relaxed wearer and also smell minty fresh!
Eight
One thing I am considering is ditching the big binder. I always look for way to be lighter. I change data collection, notes and organization almost yearly. Having things in a digital planbook is the lightest, but it has pros and cons. Last year I went back to a paper planner and data collection. I wasn’t planning on changing it up, but I started to think about taking it and setting it down in multiple places. I know I can try to keep it clean, but do I want to is my current dilemma. I think the right answer is choosing what you feel most comfortable doing. If changing your process seems like just one more thing and might stress you out don’t change.
Post it notes or a small notebook might be a long option to carry in to use for data and notes. Then this information could be added at points in the day to your big binder or plan book. This could easily be done when you return to the car.
Procedures and rules for each school may be slightly different. Be sure to know what your expectations are. Where you will be able to safely work with your students is key this year. I know I have had random and inconsistent work spaces, so be pleasantly persistent for what your students need. With social distancing going on workspaces will be at a premium, regardless you are important too.
Ten
Remember to sanitize your vehicle. I keep a small spay bottle, in my cup holder, filled with rubbing alcohol. I like to mist the wheel and my dash area for a quick clean between stops. My vehicle is my partial work space, so I want to make sure it is safe for me and my family.
Starting out may be a bumpy road, but hopefully these ideas help. I looking forward to being in my buildings and seeing my students. Getting back on the road will be a welcome change. Safe travels and happy teaching.
You can always like and follow me. Be sure to look back into my archives if you are looking for any other Itinerant Teaching ideas.
The Listening Ladybug 