This year back-to-school season looks different for everyone across the country. Some students are headed back in-person and are required to wear masks, while other students are going back virtually or using a hybrid schedule to lessen contact between students and staff members. But whether you're going back to school in person, learning virtually, or doing a hybrid version, it's important to promote positivity and happiness for everyone...especially our students!
Our school district will be going back to school using a 4+1 model. Mondays will be remote learning, while Tuesdays through Fridays will be in-person learning. My two boys will be going to my school, and I wanted to make sure our Mondays at home will be just as exciting and happy as they'll be in their classrooms. I used the Happy Day collection to create a warm environment for my two boys as they complete their assignments on our remote Mondays.
I used the Happy Day Door Border and Decorating Kit to spruce up the door to our study room. This is where my boys spend most of their time doing their school work. It would be so much fun to surprise your children on the first day of virtual school with a decorated door that leads into their learning space. You could also decorate their bedroom doors for the first day of school if they will be learning in a common space within your home. I also used the Happy Day Party Fans to brighten up chairs, which also added some color to the room. My boys love using all different sorts of pencils, and I knew they'd love the Happy Day Sayings Pencils.
These items can also be used in your classroom to decorate your students' learning space for small groups or for a certain part of your classroom. Adding banners to windows, door frames, or whiteboards can always add a bright and cheerful feeling to your classroom. These Happy Day Cutouts were perfect to spruce up empty walls! Using the paper fans around your teacher desk or bulletin boards can also make a space more inviting.
These Happy Day Pencil Cases and Happy Day Notepads are also great incentives for your students or for your own children at home. I am going to give my boys a pencil pouch and notepad to have for our first day of remote learning that way they can keep their home supplies organized. I also used the Happy Day Poster Set to create another learning wall. I am going to be using this wall for my backdrop when I'm with my students during our remote Mondays. Here's a closer look at my teacher space for distance learning.
I plan on using the You'll Need Management Magnets even when we go back to school and with my own children at home. I don't typically use my phone for my timer, so I was delighted when I found this giant Red Timer. It's great because I can have my boys set the timer themselves to complete certain tasks. I am also eager to use these Conversation Cubes with my students during our remote days. I can throw it up in the air and choose a prompt that it lands on to start a collaborative conversation online. These cubes would also be great to use with my two boys during our time learning together at home.
The uncertainty of the school year makes all of us a little uneasy, but when we create a safe, engaging, and colorful learning environment (at home and at school) it can help lessen everyone's stress about the unknown.
