3 Things You Will ALWAYS Find in my Google Classroom

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope that this post finds your week off to a great start. Today, I wanted to speak about my current Google Classroom in a little bit more detail, and share the three things that you can ALWAYS find in my Classwork tab, regardless of our unit of study or of the day/time.

1. Literacy Choice Board: Every morning before the end of our Literacy Block, my students receive 20-25 minutes of what we refer to as “Choice Board Time.” Essentially, this is an interactive Google Slide, which acts as a digital version of Literacy Centres that you would find in a Face-to-Face classroom. My students have the chance to view another read aloud, play a Writing or Spelling game, read an e-book on Epic, or watch another video that is often discussing our Literacy focus or a Character Education topic for the week. My students look forward to this open choice time every day, and this is often when I will read with small groups of students as well. It is a win-win!
2. Early Finisher Activities: Every day, my students are provided links to Reading, Writing, and Math games, as well as various other engaging early finishers tasks. This helps them to find something educational to do if they hand in their daily tasks early, and lately, I have been reinforcing the idea that they are only to choose a game to play when their work is not only finished for the day, but finished to the best of their abilities. This is a skill that develops in Primary students (and students of all ages, really!) over time, so we are practicing it every day.
3. A Virtual Calming Room: An advisor from my school’s Special Education team brought this resource to my attention a little over a month ago, and it has been a WONDERFUL addition to my Google Classroom, making an appearance in our Classwork tab every day. Essentially, our Calming Room is another version of our Literacy Choice Board. This time, however, the slide is filled with breathing exercise videos, colouring pages, movement breaks, and various other resources to help students take a break for a few minutes when they are feeling frustrated. I remind them before every work period that the Calming Room is always available to them when they need it, and it is truly helping my students to identify and regulate their emotions throughout the day. I am so grateful that this resource was shared with me!