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A blog by a fourth grade teacher full of tips, tricks, and ideas.

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Month: October 2019

Google (in the) Classroom: How to Maximize Efficiency AND Engagement Using Tech

October 6, 2019 ~ learningwithmisslagrow ~ Leave a comment

Learn how to use the Google Suite in innovative ways to maximize learning and engagement in your classroom for free with minimal prep.

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We all deserve pick-me-ups: especially our students. During our Zoom call yesterday, the students that logged on ALL felt sad, tired, bored, or lonely. 😕 We discusses ways we can bring more happiness to our days, but it’s officially at that point. Enter SNAIL MAIL. 📫 My kids have no idea their teacher is about to become their pen pal. I created these on PowerPoint with a coloring page as the background so they not only get a note from me but a fun little activity as well. 🖍 Thanks for the sizing idea, @misswestbest! The letter is on the other side of these custom coloring sheets, and I’m also putting an extra addressed envelope and stamp inside. 💌 Will I get 17 back? Probably not, but that’s not my goal. My goal is to bring a sliver of light to my students’ days. ✨ They deserve to be shown that I still care even though I’m not physically there, and that the smallest gesture can alter someone else’s mood for the better. What’s something you’ve done for your students to brighten their days lately? ⤵️

Distance learning isn’t just for kids. I picked up my Apple Pencil quite possibly the first time since last summer yesterday. 📱 I’ve been doodling and practicing, and I decided to go out of my comfort zone with a self portrait of sorts. (SWIPE ➡️ to see) It’s not perfect, but darn it, I’m proud. And I felt great doing it. ✨ Have you tried something new the past couple weeks? ⤵️

How many times is rewearing leggings acceptable? 🤔 Asking for a friend. In all reality, I’ve really been trying to be grateful for the little things in this new routine. ✨ I’m loving waking up slowly with a cup of coffee on the couch, and I get to listen to MY music all day. I filmed “Windows” by Julia Denos for a school read aloud today, and it’s all about being present in these small moments. 📚 It’s okay to feel some joy in that. What’s a small moment in your new routine that you’re GRATEFUL for? ⤵️

Teach your students to find joy in these days. I brainstormed how to possibly stress the importance of being mindful and grateful even in these days, and it hit me—journaling. 📒 My students will have the opportunity to fill out a prompt a day to bring some light to this unknown. I uploaded a FREE sampler of 8 prompts to my TPT, and you can also grab the full version of 50 prompts. ✨ Ready to go integration for Google Classroom! One small thing that brings me joy today is my office you see here! 💻 It’s also made me want to make my classroom black, white, and all the greenery in the future! What about you? ⤵️

I see you. I am you. I’m first of all driven by a routine, and this whole situation is anything but routine. ⏰ Even if I make my own routine within the walls of my apartment, it still feels the farthest thing from routine. I’ve heard from five of my students. Five. Not all of my students have internet access, so all mandatory work is offline. 💻 There’s an added anxiety when I haven’t even spoken to some students since before the world flipped upside down. The governor says we’ll be back in 11 days, but something tells me that won’t happen. 😞 I became a teacher for so many reasons, but one of the biggest was providing a safe environment for youth. Sadly, this *is* the safest decision. I’m finding comfort in focusing on joys I normally neglect. ✨ I’ve cleaned rooms that were trashed due to poor mental health. I’ve reintroduced myself to hobbies I “don’t have time for.” So my note to you is this: There is solidarity in this isolation. 👭 There are so many things we can worry about, but do me a favor and choose one nugget of pure joy and bliss to focus on. Mine today is a clean bedroom for the first time in months. 😌 What’s yours? ⤵️

It’s okay to find beauty in the chaos. Yes, I actually made a bucket list for this time away from school. 📝 And yes, the entire thing is this random. It’s a combination of what needs done and the little things I neglect when life gets busy that bring me joy. I’m here to tell you that IT’S OKAY to feel some happiness in the stillness of the current situation. ✨ I have a lot of confusing feelings, and this list brings me one that isn’t confusing—joy. So now I ask you: What’s one thing you can do today that simply brings you joy? ⤵️

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Recent Posts

HOW TO: Make Any PDF an Editable Google Classroom Assessment March 27, 2020
My Complete Smilelove Journey November 15, 2019
Google (in the) Classroom: How to Maximize Efficiency AND Engagement Using Tech October 6, 2019
Morning Meeting: Creating a Community of Learners January 29, 2019
My Journey to Straight Teeth: Week 1 with SmileLove January 13, 2019
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