Resource Goes Remote
/Are you part of a Resource Team? Most of us naturally think of music, art, PE, library, STEAM, or other similar classes.
Transitioning to a world where we’re now completing distance learning, I had a hard time wrapping my head around what that would look like for a Resource team. I’m used to seeing 850 students in a span of one week. How am I going to replicate that model through distance learning? And let’s be real - you can’t. Just like classroom teachers cannot replicate their teaching for 25 (ish) students, we cannot replicate our teaching for the entire school.
So as team leader, I wanted to find a model that would work for my team, my students, and my parents. I wanted something that offered choice, minimal materials, hands-on learning, and time to bond as a family. Does all of this sound like something you were striving for to? I’m sure it is and it wasn’t easy, was it? Especially as a STEAM teacher. I think of my classroom and the many materials I have acquired through grants, donations, and stretching the little bit of money I have. The experiences that I am able to provide my students in the classroom just aren’t possible through a computer screen. But I also knew that there were still many learning opportunities from home.
So what did I land on? A Bingo board.
I assigned each letter in “Bingo” to a different member of my team. We’re even lucky to have a Wellness Integrator at my school, so we sprinkled in wellness-driven lessons within each of the Resource content areas. I encouraged my team to create plans that all students would have access to. Think minimal materials because we don’t want parents having to drive to the store, library, or a friend’s house. We also loved the idea of a Bingo board because for families that have children across multiple grade levels, they could complete the same activity together. They would never have to feel the need to ensure there children are completing a specific assignment, and the choice offers students autonomy to pick something that interests them. We know that it is hard to keep students engaged during distance learning, but if you give them choice in their learning, they’re more likely to want to engage in the work, thus retaining what they learned.
While none of this distance learning is ideal, I feel confident that we’ve found a model that helps students learn, take some of the pressure off of parents, and keeps our students engaged. So take a peek! Download the Bingo board for yourself and get your students learning!
