Setting and up and running a self-contained classroom during COVID-19 brings about a number of complicated logistics that can quickly start to make your head spin. When you boil it down, we are really just trying to maximize safety while students are able to benefit from in-person instruction once again. In everything we do, we are trying to make their attendance at school as low risk as possible for everyone. One standard that we have heard again and again is that students must be placed at least six feet apart. So what does this look like in a self-contained classroom?
First stop, you should check out this great article about a California school that opened up its doors for ESY. It is a practical glimpse into what our secondary classrooms can look like when we start up again. If you missed last week’s post, there were more great examples of classroom designs in the links. Emily Crowther from Virginia shared the below photos of her ESY classroom. Every desk is placed six feet apart but still has visual access to the front of the class. Each student is positioned so that they can receive either whole group or 1:1 instruction from the same spot. There is even a space for a socially distanced small group for two students in the back.
As you start to imagine how your classroom will be set up, you really need to start with your students and consider their needs. Will they be able to take part in 1:1 instruction, small group instruction, and/or whole group instruction from the one desk that they will sit at all day? What clear boundaries do you need to provide so that everyone’s space is clearly defined? What alternate seating options might they need in their space? Sarah Lilley from North Carolina knows that her students need to move and get outside, so anytime it’s time to eat and the weather is decent they are having a socially distanced picnic outside. She has purchased these blankets so that everyone will still have their own designated space.
Just because your classroom will not look as glorious and as glamorous as it has in years past does not mean you can’t be creative. Please continue to share. Our individual ideas can create a collective genius! Keep the pictures coming in and stay tuned!
Patrick Mulick
patrickmulick@gmail.com