I made it! Week 3 Down… Remote Learning With My Self-Contained Preschoolers!

To All the Superhero Teachers…

Well, I finished my third week of remote learning with my self-contained preschool class and I am proud of how far I have come…wow what a huge feat!  As I dream of winter break on week 3 of my online teaching, I also realize that my dreams of becoming the best online teacher out there are slowly dying.  You see, like all of you I have been working my butt off for weeks/months trying to figure out how this will work and how it can be done successfully.  I love my students like my own children, but I also know the challenge of engaging my students in person at times, let alone online.  As I scour the internet finding creative, fun ways to engage students; my personal favorite, the green screen, I also realize that just like in the classroom I have to follow my kids’ lead.  I have a new student who will stay on screen during my zoom meetings, but does not look up or participate in any way that I can tell during our group activities.  After putting on my “show” as I like to call it, I just stopped what I was doing and sang the alphabet song to him quietly.  And for the first time, he looked up at me and gave me a little smirk and then looked back down.  A win for us both and a realization that sometimes it is the simplest interactions that mean the most.  We might need to overplan to help us through this time, but we also might need to throw the plans out the window and go with what we know….which is how to teach children anyway we can.  I wanted to give some ideas on what I have been doing with my students- some great successes and some complete failures.  At times, I was singing to an empty chair and a blank screen, but I kept showing up just like my kids.  I have been so proud of the parents who show up daily and struggle through with me.  So here is my schedule and below are some videos of my small groups to give you some ideas.  Happy online teaching!  Oh and by the way, now that I feel like I know what I am doing, my district just announced we will begin in person at the end of October.  

Each day I run a large group in the morning and my schedule is as follows:

Whole Group Schedule:

1. Listening Song (second step)
2. Hello- greeting each student
3. Counting Objects
4. Message of the Day (correlates to the song)
5. Music/Movement (Choice board)
6. Mystery Box (focus on target vocabulary for the week)
7. Story (interactive using powerpoint)
8. Music (alphabet song)
9. Movement (Get up and move song)

Each day I run two small groups where I separate the kids into two groups and work more on their individual goals/skills level.

Small Group Schedule:

1. Interactive Story
2. Music (theme related)
3. Work Activity (academic or social based)
4. Choice Time (play) Choice Board Linked Here (I tell parents to have a bin close by with these items so that we can have them ready when the kids choose an item)

The remainder of the day is asynchronous activities that I provide and parent check-in (training) time.  I have an am and a pm session.

Here are some ideas that I have done so far:

Small Group (Theme: Body Parts)

1. Interactive Story about body parts What Can My Body Do?
2. Song: One Little Finger (Super Simple Song Youtube)
3. Mat Man on the green screen with the music playing (I build Mat Man while the kids watch)
4. Choice Board- Art Practiced drawing mat man together while I modeled drawing a person and singing the mat man song

Video of Mat Man

Small Group (Theme:  Back To School)

1. Interactive Story about School Supplies:  Classroom, Classroom What Do You See?
2. Song: Wheels On The Bus
3. Work:  Hide school supplies vocabulary in green screen pocket and pull out/Boom Cards Matching School Vocabulary
4. Choice Board- Kids get to pick which activity from the choice board linked above and play

Small group (Theme:  Feelings)

1.  Interactive Feelings Story My Feelings
2. If You’re Happy & You Know It (Super Simple Songs Youtube)
3. Work: Mr Potato Head Zone Activity (Found idea on Playspark toys- the green screen gal-she’s awesome!)
4. Music (pick your favorite song from our music choice board)

For my large group I also stay with the theme and read a story, sing a song, do a mystery game where we focus on vocabulary words for the week.

Here is a link to one of my circle time videos:

Circle Time:  Body Parts

I hope these ideas are helpful for you guys.  I actually love using the green screen and it makes things more fun for me.  I think some of my kiddos like it more than others, but I found it fun.  Happy teaching!  Hang in there…we will all become stronger, braver, and more amazing than we ever thought possible!