Teacher's Brain Blog

How To Set Up Your Virtual Classroom

July 23, 2021 teachersbrain Back to School, Distance Learning

The end of summer is rapidly approaching! With the pandemic ongoing, many teachers may be preparing for another year in a virtual classroom instead of in person. For teachers used to teaching face to face in the classroom, things are different and you have to come up with new ways to do pretty much everything. This could either be exciting, or overwhelming. If you are feeling overwhelmed about it, don’t worry! I am here to help.

While teaching virtually is a learning curve at first, you will soon learn that it can actually be fun! Going digital gives you so many more teaching resources to choose from. You can use Boom Cards, videos, audio, Google Slides, games, and last but most certainly not least, self-grading resources!

Teaching virtually saves you valuable time grading, prepping, printing, and more. Furthermore, Google Slides make it so easier than ever to personalize your teaching resources and make them your own. What’s not to love!

If you are just getting started with virtual learning and need some help getting your virtual classroom set up, I have you covered!

My Virtual Classroom Templates will have you set for distance learning.

These editable templates are made with Google Slides so they are quick and so easy to use. They make it simple to decide which slides you want to use with your class, and delete what you don’t want. You can add clickable links, forms, images, a quiz, or videos of you to personalize your classroom.

Feeling nervous about how to use them? Don’t worry! I created a YouTube video instructing you on how to use it and make it your own.

Included with this virtual classroom resource, you’ll get:

15 Google Slide Templates for Home Room, Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, PE, Centers and a Brain Break. These include home buttons of the slides so students can use presentation mode and easily find their schedule on the Home Room slide.
18 Google Slides with links for a DEMO. There are extra slides from my own digital resources for you to use as a demo or in your own presentation or if you are K-2, you can use the demo for an emergency sub plan if needed.
3 Page PDF with Directions

Slides are 11 x 8.5 so you can add other slides that can be printed out by the students at home if needed.

This will make teaching in a virtual classroom a breeze, guaranteed!

If you are looking for more digital resources, check out my post here on how to create a virtual All About Me presentation for Back To School night. Or, if you are looking for a way to do calendar time virtually, check out my virtual calendar resource here!

Are you teaching in person or virtually this year? Let me know in the comments!

How To Create A Stellar All About Me Presentation For Back-To-School Night

July 16, 2021 teachersbrain Back to School, Distance Learning, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Teaching Tips

It’s that time of year again! Time to start preparing for your back-to-school night or “Meet The Teacher” night. If you are looking for an easy and super quick way to make an “About Me” presentation that will wow your new students and their parents, I have you covered!

As many of you know, I love Google Slides. They are so versatile and easy to use in-person or online for virtual learning! You can easily personalize them and add your own flair without paying an extra cent on supplies. This makes them perfect for teachers looking to save on classroom spending.

With all of that in mind, I created this All About Me Presentation Google Slides resource to make your back-to-school night experience easy and stunning.

This All About Me resource comes with 13 slides that you can easily edit and personalize with your unique personality. The fun and colorful theme will help you make a great first impression!

After back-to-school night is complete, you can still use these templates for your Star Student! Just switch out your information and add student info for a fun and unique way for students to feel special!

Check out the video tutorial for how to use these Google Slides!

If you are looking for an easy print-and-go resource? You can easily print these! This resource also comes with a black and white version.

If you love Google Slides as much as I do, check out my post here on how to use them to create a virtual calendar for your Calendar Time this year!

You can also check out my Virtual Calendar Google Slides Templates here.

Looking for more back-to-school ideas, check out these classroom decor tips!

Summer Olympic Games and Activities for Kids

July 11, 2021 teachersbrain education, Olympics

The summer Olympics is a great way to get kids involved in learning! You can include Venn diagrams, books, KWL charts, traditions, STEM and so much more to your lessons that relate to summer sports. Because students are seeing the events at home, they will be more engaged in your lessons. I love to invite guest speakers to the classroom if you can find someone who trains for the Olympics in your area. Also, parents also take an interest in the Olympics, so why not get them involved in a home STEM project? Here is one for Field Hockey.

STEM STEPS:

Print out the net and field.
Tape a paper-clip to a pencil to make a hockey stick
Fold the net to stand upright
Have a crumbled piece of paper to use as a puck

STUDENTS LOVE IT!

Do an ancient Greek history lesson about the reason the torch is always a symbol of the games. Include learning about each sports event in your unit. You can even have students host their own Olympics at school. Sponsorship is a big part of the Olympics. Students can design their own logos, shirts, hats, or write a letter to ask for sponsorship. Next, have students discover the meaning of the five rings.

Students love to learn about the medals that Olympians receive for winning at the Olympics. Let them design their own. Then, have them research the history of the medals.

Maybe you don’t have time to do a whole unit on summer sports. You could do an interactive notebook on Fun Fridays!

Read about the Winter Olympic Resources

How To Create A Fun And Easy Virtual Calendar For Your Classroom

July 9, 2021 teachersbrain Classroom Decor, kindergarten survival, Teaching Tips

If you know me, you know I just love calendar time. It is such a great way to gather with kindergarten or first grade students, go over the calendar, review some concepts, read stories, listen, share, and maybe even sing some songs. For more info on why I love it so much, check out my post here.

I adore my traditional Calendar Time area. This fun beachy-themed calendar area has always been my favorite. Recently, however, I have been exploring Google Slides more and more and have found that it is the perfect tool for creating a virtual calendar easily!

Here are some benefits of using a virtual calendar in your classroom

It can be used in person or virtually. After the last couple of years in the classroom, we are realizing the need for resources that can be used in the classroom AND virtually for distance learning. Teaching resources that are versatile enough to be used in both is essential these days.
They are easily customized. Google Slides are so easy to play around with and make it your own.
It can be easily reused year after year. While you can reuse physical products too, reusing digital items doesn’t require you to store anything or take up extra space. It can also be edited and personalized each year to fit whatever theme you want.
It saves money. If you are printing your resources, it will save you money on paper and printing costs to just do it virtually. Saving money in the classroom is always a plus!

Ready to explore virtual calendars yourself? I have you covered! I created this Virtual Calendar template for teachers who want to simplify Calendar Time in the classroom.

These colorful Google Slides templates make it easy for you and fun for your students. They can easily be edited to add your own personal touch. This calendar comes with Google Slides to help you review time, days of the week, months, money, share your morning messages, birthday shoutouts, and more!

Check out my virtual calendar tutorial here!

Here’s what’s included in this calendar resource:

21 Colorful Digital Calendar and Math slides. Includes time, days of the week, months, money, a spinner game, morning messages, birthday shoutouts, patterns, shapes, and tally marks.
2 Review Pages (one digital and one black and white to easily print for pencil to paper)

Ready to get started with your virtual calendar? Check it out here!

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