COVID-19 changed the way teachers taught and students learned. Last school year, my school district was fortunate to be able to meet in person for almost the entire school year. However, the "classroom carpet," a large area rug or carpet where the entire class can sit together with the teacher, was eliminated in my classroom, and many others, to accommodate social distancing and to take every precaution possible. This was heartbreaking for all teachers because the classroom carpet is where so many valuable things take place in the classroom. This is where I am able to meet together and start building my classroom community, fostering strong bonds and a sense of belonging, respect, and family" among students. Just like eating dinner together in the home, sitting together in the classroom for brief periods throughout each day is so important. I did not realize how much removing the classroom carpet would affect the learning, sense of community, and the overall mood in my 2nd grade room last year, but boy it did!! So, this year, I am wanting to still respect COVID-19 precautions, but have somewhat of a classroom "carpet" by using yoga mat squares for students to sit on instead (1 yoga mat can be cut in half to make 2 squares). We can still meet together as a group, but spread out a bit more, remain sanitary, and not be sitting on the cold, hard floor. They can be disinfected easily and be stored away in bins when we are not meeting together. One of my biggest goals this school year is to start the year off by building strong bonds with and among my students, because when there is a strong sense of community, the classroom becomes a safe place to take risks and expand the mind!
About my class
COVID-19 changed the way teachers taught and students learned. Last school year, my school district was fortunate to be able to meet in person for almost the entire school year. However, the "classroom carpet," a large area rug or carpet where the entire class can sit together with the teacher, was eliminated in my classroom, and many others, to accommodate social distancing and to take every precaution possible. This was heartbreaking for all teachers because the classroom carpet is where so many valuable things take place in the classroom. This is where I am able to meet together and start building my classroom community, fostering strong bonds and a sense of belonging, respect, and family" among students. Just like eating dinner together in the home, sitting together in the classroom for brief periods throughout each day is so important. I did not realize how much removing the classroom carpet would affect the learning, sense of community, and the overall mood in my 2nd grade room last year, but boy it did!! So, this year, I am wanting to still respect COVID-19 precautions, but have somewhat of a classroom "carpet" by using yoga mat squares for students to sit on instead (1 yoga mat can be cut in half to make 2 squares). We can still meet together as a group, but spread out a bit more, remain sanitary, and not be sitting on the cold, hard floor. They can be disinfected easily and be stored away in bins when we are not meeting together. One of my biggest goals this school year is to start the year off by building strong bonds with and among my students, because when there is a strong sense of community, the classroom becomes a safe place to take risks and expand the mind!
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