Do you know that time of year? You are nearing the end of your time with your kiddos. You have covered what you need to, you have handed in report cards, you have discussed with parents and now you are just exhausted. Worse than that you know your kids are also exhausted and you can see them start to disengage from your learning. It’s inevitable right? Nope! Not at all. You can keep your kids engaged, having a great time and still learning.
One of the ways I try to prevent disengagement in my classroom is to start treating the classroom as almost an independent learning lab. I treat my students like independent learners who are capable of finding out information on their own. So, while I think it is absolutely crucial to keep your math and language going we do this in my room in a fun way! Every morning we still do number talks using my spiral math. This way when parents ask what I’m covering in math by doing these projects I can point them to the five (sometimes more) strands of math we covered that week just in number talks. We might play games like I have who has and use task cards that are designed to be fun. All of this takes about 20 minutes of my morning. Then we move on to the
project math that the kids can’t wait for. They love doing these types of tasks, and I think, from years of talking to them about it, they actually see this as math, where they see the other things we do as work. That’s why I try to tie these projects in when I can during my math classes. In my comprehensive units, just like teaching multiple strands throughout the month project-based math is woven into multiple opportunities in my classes.
In language, we do something similar. We make use of the time for students to write fun pieces like ‘how to annoy your siblings.‘ In reading I ensure that I read a book to them that I know doesn’t cover major and heavy topics and they will enjoy. I love ending the year with Lightning Thief and if you can, save yourself the time and purchase the audible version because the narration is spectacular! This is one of the few times of year during language that I don’t require any effort while I read. Their job is simply to enjoy and at the end of a chapter, we might discuss or do a diary from a character’s perspective.
In topics like science or social studies I often allow students to do an inquiry project with the time they have left. For example, they might want to research glacier lakes, global warming, soil problems or even a particular animal. They need to submit an outline to me and then I allow them time to research. You can also use great sites like Exploring by the Seat of your Pants. They are fantastic and even have a cross-Canada Virtual Road trip. Who doesn’t want to go on a road trip at this point?? On whatever video I show them I often have students that want to inquire more about a topic and that’s terrific. We watched one on ocean conservation efforts and I had so many kids find amazing topics they were interested in. You can also implement a talent show week and allow students time to practice their talents. I think this is the time of year where we can (with guidance) allow our students to be independent learners who start to see the joy of learning in everything around them. After all, the school may not really be for all, but can’t we make it as engaging and exciting as we can? Plus, as an added bonus, allowing students this time allows you time to take a breath and maybe actually drink the hot beverage you started this morning! I’m going back to my coffee on that note (I think I only reheated it twice today). Below you will find some great links to virtual fieldtrips, experiences, and just awesome things to do with your kids
Great Virtual Field Trips or Experiences
Winter Palace of Peter the Great
Stellarium – can explore stars, find planets and watch sunrises. Customizable to your location
Canadian Farm Fresh 360 – immerse yourself in farm and food tours – great for younger kids.
Ellis Island – great for those studying immigration patterns
Louvre Virtual Tours (their ancient civilizations sections are amazing)
Parliament Buildings in Ottawa
Virtual Trip to Mars conducted by the Curiosity
Yellowstone National Park – lots of things to do but Old Faithful live stream and making predictions is fun
Nature Conservancy trips – 11 different trips like exploring a rainforest or coral reefs
Shingwauk Hall Residential school tour
Virtual Tours of Canadian Arctic
Maritime Aquarium Virtual Programs and Clubs (live and they can talk to a research vessel or learn about pollution)
Royal Tyrrell Museum Alberta – great dinosaur exhibits
Great Lakes Now – 3 videos
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (great for animals and ancient history and free in real life)
Ontario Science Centre Virtual Events
Great Wall of China Virtual Tours
Ancient Egypt – interactive pyramid map and 3D temple reconstructions
Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg
San Diego Zoo (truly one of the best zoos in the world and has games and activities too)