Of course, my hope is that states, counties, and school districts are making safe choices about whether or not to open schools, and offering teachers a choice in whether they prefer in-person teaching or a distance learning option.

But for any teachers who are headed back to the classroom soon, I am here for you! Let me know in the comments about any questions you have about school and classroom safety during Covid-19.

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Covid Teacher Tip #5 : Jump on that fanny pack trend! This is the perfect way to have all your necessary supplies easily on hand You can fit your hand sanitizer, some gloves, and wipes so that you don’t have to run and find what you need every time you need clean hands to do something! Huge time saver! I also think the front pocket is perfect for keeping my phone, so that it’s separate and easy to access. For the playground, I stick a couple bandaids and alcohol wipes there too for cuts and scrapes. When I saw some of my colleagues rocking these when we reopened, I thought it was brilliant! I jumped on that fanny pack wagon and got one too! Luckily, these days there are so many different styles available, it’s easy to find one that still looks cute #tftpickme

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 28, 2020 at 3:35pm PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #4: Stock up on cleaning supplies! It can feel scary going back to the classroom, but having a cupboard full of all the necessary cleaning materials definitely makes me feel safer Even though my school has pledged to keep us fully stocked on the supplies we need, they sometimes have orders that get delayed and we have to ration what we have. I was so glad I had some supplies on hand that I had picked up at Target before school opened. I try to keep at least one or two back-ups of gloves, wipes, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant spray in my cabinet at all times. I’m also loving the microfiber cloths to use with the disinfectant spray so I’m not constantly using up paper towels As we all know, wipes and sanitizers are hard to get these days… so start getting a little stash now What cleaning supplies are you going to get for the classroom?

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 24, 2020 at 5:38pm PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #3: Keep some extra child masks in your classroom! Just today, a girl in my class couldn’t find her mask after lunch. Luckily, I had these handy and could give her a spare! Swipe to see a helpful solution for lost masks. Tie some yarn or attach to a lanyard and the mask becomes a necklace when they’re eating or outside, but easy to find when they come back in the classroom! Big shout-out to the parent who donated this stash of extra child masks to my classroom. You could even ask parents to send a second mask to school that stays in the classroom. Tag a friend who would want to see this tip! And check back for more Covid teacher tips soon

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 20, 2020 at 2:00pm PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #2: Use chalk and floor tape to make markers for spaced out lines. This helps students stay socially distanced when they’re lining up outside the classroom or inside the classroom. It’s hard for students to tell what six feet is, but having a clear place to put their feet helps them remember. It can also be used on a rug to make socially distanced sitting spots to play or gather Swipe to see a couple ways I’ve marked lines this summer. Check back soon for another Covid Teacher Tip! #covidclassroom #coronaclassroom #quaranteaching #teachersofinstagram #teacherblogger #covidteachertips #teachersfollowteachers #firstgradeteacher #californiateachers

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 17, 2020 at 9:28am PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #1: I’m trying a new thing! Every day I’ll share a tip that I am finding helpful to stay safe in the classroom while teaching kids! Tag a friend who might be in the classroom in fall or share in your stories to pass on to teacher friends! Tip #1: Wear gloves! Gloves are great for… helping a child with something at their seat, handling student belongings, passing out materials to the class, or collecting student work. Just make sure you change your gloves before helping another student! I also find that wearing gloves makes me less likely to touch my face Check back tomorrow for another Covid Teacher Tip! #covidclassroom #coronaclassroom #quaranteaching #teachersofinstagram #teacherblogger #covidteachertips #teachersfollowteachers #firstgradeteacher #californiateachers

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 16, 2020 at 2:04pm PDT

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The best way I could cope with the anxiety I was feeling was to prepare as much as I could. This started with the physical setup of my classroom itself. In the summer, I don’t teach in my regular classroom, so I did a big overhaul of the furniture in my summer room. I had to rearrange tables, chairs, and desks to make open places to walk, and spread out the students at their seats.

Here’s a video showing some of the most important classroom features we added or changed for safety. Read the article for details on all these ideas!

• Spread out my seating chart. Students now sit two to a table, with six feet between them. I made sure there are accessible aisles so that teachers can move through the room without getting too close to students.

• Keep belongings at student seats. I tried to cut down on the times they had to be out of their seats and milling about the classroom by having as many of their materials with them at their seats. They also keep their backpacks, water bottles, and lunches right next to their chairs. It’s a little cluttered, but it cuts out the need for students to get up every five minutes to get water, jacket, snack, etc…

• Give everyone their own materials. Each student has their own seat of pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, sketching paper, tape, glue, etc. Materials that used to be communal are now kept in individual pouches labeled with names, and everyone understands that they have to use their own materials.

• 6 foot markers for lines. Students quickly forget to keep six feet apart. Marking the floor with lines where they can safely stand when they line up to wash their hands, go out of the room, or come in from recess can help them keep those boundaries in mind.

• Cabinet handles and door. Any cabinets that are frequently used by students (book shelves, games, personal belongings etc.) we have removed the doors of the cabinet. Handles are a hotspot for germs, so it’s best to by-pass them altogether. I definitely still keep my personal belongings in a cabinet with doors, but it’s clearly labeled as my space, and it’s out of reach of students. 

I am definitely discovering more ideas and better ways of doing things every day, but this much at least helped me feel more confident about heading back to work.

What questions do you have about safe classroom setups?
xoxo
Laura

The post How To Set Up A Safe Classroom During A Pandemic appeared first on Love Grows Learning.