My school and district have officially been closed for three weeks, due to COVID-19 and the need for social distancing. Nothing like being told “this could happen” on a Wednesday, and then being told “it’s happening – now create two weeks’ worth of work for your students to take home tomorrow” on a Thursday. At 5 p.m.
This entire situation is so surreal and so scary. On my last day with my students, there was no joy in getting out of school, as there would be before a scheduled break. Instead, everyone had lots of questions and I had very few answers.
There is much controversy right now about whether teachers who have not been trained in distance learning should be required to figure out how to do this practically overnight.
There is controversy about providing online resources when some families do not have digital access. Some teachers feel as if creating a lot of resources is just going to be a waste of time when families are stressed and may not even access the resources.
Everyone is worried about our students getting what they need the most right now — comfort, reassurance, reminders that they are loved and cared for, healthy meals, access to counseling and possibly a school nurse.
With all of this in mind, I am providing a gigantic list of resources that you could share with your students or their families. Feel free to share this post with them if you like, or just pick and choose a few resources to share. There are so many resources available, which can be overwhelming. So just choose a few to explore and share with families. I’ve also created a PDF of the resources which you can download.
Keep in mind that everyone is stressed. So as you provide resources for families, try to think about “less is more” and not be too strict about your requirements. Try to see this as learning opportunities for students and support for families.
In addition, I’ll give you some general advice tips that I have received from teachers who are already “in the trenches” of school closings.
And during all of this turmoil — remember to take care of yourself. Take a break and do some things that are just for you. Watch the news but when you start feeling stressed about it, step away and breathe. Spend time with your family. Take a walk and get some fresh air. Watch everything you’ve been meaning to watch on Netflix and Disney Plus and other streaming services. Eat healthy food and drink lots of water. And, as always, wash your hands!
Great advice tips from some teachers:
*Do your best but don’t try to be superhuman.
*Set your priorities. You don’t need everything on this list. Think about what you really want your students to do. Read every day? Write something every day? Solve some math problems? Create something? You might also want them to be active in some way or to do things to help out at home. Think about what really matters to you.
*Try to communicate with your students and their families daily. This can be in whatever way works for you. I do think it’s most helpful if you can do some kind of video of yourself talking to your kids and share that with them frequently. Somehow “seeing” you, even virtually, will be reassuring for your students.
My fifth graders also love to see pictures of my dog and my daughter’s dog. So one of my goals is to share a new picture with them daily.
*Use a google form as a check-in for your students and/or their families. This emotional check-in and mindfulness journal can give you some ideas to start as will this google form check-in on Surviving the Middle. Just make a copy and adapt it for your own needs.
*Ask your students to develop their own schedule for their time at home. You may have seen images of schedules on social media, which might be useful to families as a starting point. But I think it’s even more powerful when students create their own schedules.
*Consider sharing the “best of . . . “ lists from Common Sense Media as a guide for movies, games and books for families.
*Think about what your students can do that does not involve a screen. They could play board games, create some kind of art, create a new dance or workout, use a meditation app for kids, play math games with a deck of cards (here’s a list of games for grades 3-5).
*If you are sharing resources listed below, think about sharing ONE math resource per day, ONE reading resource per day, etc.
I love this at-home learning calendar from Teaching in Room 6 blog. OR – consider creating a choice board for students. Here are some editable templates (just make a copy) from A Principal’s Reflections blog.
*Join the Facebook group Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning. There are tons of great resources but, more importantly, it’s a great source of support for all of us during this unprecedented crisis.
All of the resources listed below are either free, have a free resources section on their site, or are offering free access during the COVID-19 closures.
You can download a printable PDF of the resources HERE.
Here we go!
Resources for Reading
*Think about providing some way for students to communicate with you (and possibly with the whole class) about their reading. This could be on a google form, a Padlet wall that you create and share with them, a shared google doc, or use this journal (make a copy and adapt for your own needs). Could they create a Flipgrid video of a book commercial or book review, complete with props? Create a google slides presentation about books they’re reading? You might even try asking your kids to share their own ideas!
*Curriculum Associates – printable packets
*Epic! – digital library
*Freerice – great vocabulary building game!
*MobyMax – online lessons that claim to “find and fix learning gaps”.
Link for closed schools
*Reading IQ – great site for online books!
*Scholastic Learn at Home resources
Resources for Writing
*Book Creator – create and write your own books!
*Classroom Cereal – grammar practice
*No Red Ink – writing lessons – NoRedInk is a free online curriculum that builds better writers. It includes diagnostic tools and assessments, targeted skills practice, a writing platform that guides students through the drafting and revision process, and instructional resources for teachers. It is used in more than 50% of US districts.
*Storyboard That – creation tool
*This next resource is not free but is definitely worth purchasing for yourself or sharing with families. Be a Better Writer by Steve Peha is an invaluable resource. Here is Amazon’s description:
One Book for All Kinds of Writers and All Kinds of Writing
Whether you’re writing essays for school or fiction for fun, this book helps you be a better writer.
For School…
Improve your grades with techniques like the What-Why-How and Content-Purpose-Audience strategies that clarify your thinking and strengthen logical arguments on tests, in essays, and on research reports. Use Sentence Patterns and the Plain English for Handy Analysis approach to improve your grammar without having to learn grammar rules. Get your work done faster, develop more confidence, bring home better report cards, and score higher on state tests.
For Fun…
Improve your creative writing by using The Five Facts of Fiction to dream up compelling characters and powerful plot lines that keep your readers reading from beginning to end. Produce rich description with the Tell-Show strategy. Render your ideas in well-chosen words and smooth-sounding sentences. Find your voice and translate your passion to the page so your readers feel it, too.
For Anyone…
You have a voice the world wants to hear. You have stories to tell, real and imagined, that readers can’t wait to read. You have things to say that will change the way people think and feel, and that will shape the way they look at life after seeing it through your eyes. Don’t keep your readers waiting; give them things to read. Don’t wait for someone to discover you; discover yourself. Don’t wait to be a better writer; be a better writer now!
Resources for Math
*Ascend Math
Link for closed schools
*Curriculum Associates – printable packets
*Explore Learning Gizmos – math & science simulations
*Khan Academy – math instructional videos
*Legends of Learning – math & science games
*MobyMax – online lessons that claim to “find and fix learning gaps”. It
Link for closed schools
*Reflex Math – great for math fact fluency
*Scholastic Learn at Home resources
*Xtramath – site for practicing math facts
*Zearn – math lessons & resources
Content Area Resources
*Boom Cards – interactive lessons in a game format
*BrainPop – videos, reading passages, quizzes
Link for closed schools
*Classcraft – learning games platform
*Crash Course – videos about a variety of subjects
*Discovery Mindblown – science content
*Duolingo – site for language learning
*Explore Learning Gizmos – math & science simulations
*Facing History – history & social studies content
*Generation Genius – science videos
*iCivics – social studies
*Kahoot – create or play online games on a variety of topics
*Legends of Learning – math & science games
*Mystery Science
Link for closed schools
*Nearpod – videos and quizzes –
*Outschool – online classes on a variety of topics
*Scholastic Learn at Home resources
*TrueFlix – science & social studies videos
*Who Was . . .? – resources about historical figures
Tour Museums Online
Galleria degli Uffizi- Firenze
National Archaeological Museum of Greece
Metropolitan Museum in New York
National Gallery of Art in Washington
Coding or Creativity Sites
*Tynker – coding platform for kids
*CS First – coding curriculum
Create a history meme with this great tool from Jenifer Bazzit of Thrive in Grade Five! Just open and make a copy. 🙂
Sites for presenting lessons & giving students feedback
*Class Kick
Tools for communicating with your students by video
*Screencastify for lessons or
*Flipgrid videos for quick lessons (or for students to share their work with you)
*Zoom
If you want the PDF of these resources, click HERE!
I hope that these resources will be helpful to you as we all navigate this surreal experience. I’d love to hear what works for you and what resources you have tried and found helpful!