My New Classroom in the Time of COVID-19

I'm a remote learning kindergarten teacher this year.  In my district, this means that I will still report to my school building each day, but will teach students from my classroom via Loom, Google Classroom, and pre-recorded content videos while other teachers' students join them for face to face instruction on campus.  My new classroom is a teaching space that would never in a million years be able to support all of the materials, furniture, decor and experiences that my previous room did, but I selected some essentials that remained with me in the building while everything else was brought home. I hope to be able to mount my laptop (camera) on a swivel stand in the middle of the circle, so as I move from location to location, all I have to do is check for focus and framing, without trying to finagle the right height for my laptop in each location, risking gravity's inevitable assertion.

Here's the "before:"

I've arranged my classroom into three areas.  The first is my instructional "circle," which includes in a clockwise rotation my SMART Board, a reading table, bins full of ELA and math manipulatives that can be displayed via projection provided by a document camera, an art easel for painting and craft table for demonstrations/tutorials, and a big book, calendar and story time area next to a cart that is positioned next to the SMART Board. The second is my office area, complete with desk, second monitor that can be hooked up to my laptop, my bulletin board and curriculum storage, and a large table that I can use to sort consumables, create work packets (hopefully), and spread out curriculum guides or other bulky items if needed.  The last area is the real estate for my bulletin board displays and other visuals such as anchor charts and dry erase surfaces.  

Here's the view from my desk (my SMARTBoard is against the far wall, past the big book stand and storytime easel):

I've been keeping half of the room's lights off and the projector of the SMARTBoard dimmed this past week in an attempt to keep the room as cool as possible.  Even with the help of two oscillating fans, I haven't been able to get it cooler than seventy-three degrees, which, no joke, is almost ten degrees hotter that I like any room to be. There are no quilts or lots of puppets and stuffed animals in my room now because we need to minimize the amount of fabric and other porous surfaces into which I and other visitors to my room may come into contact, but the bulletin boards are prepared and surfaces are decorated as they would be if my students were going to be with me in-person. I plan to photograph our sound wall, a display of our 7 Habits, our sixty Power Words, our math vocabulary wall (it's taped to cabinetry), and the front of our room in case a Bitmoji-style room isn't allowed for reference on a Google Site or in Google Classroom.  Even if our building is closed again like it was last spring, I should be able to use the pictures I've taken as reference materials online. 

To the right of my desk, behind the instructional circle is a long table, rolling cart, and bulletin board/tub storage.  I anticipate this area will end up full of math workbooks, packets, and whatever other resources I might be providing to my students.  Because there's a huge bulletin board in this area, I've put up a sound wall that I can easily photograph for my students' reference.  All of my ELA book tubs are stored within easy reach, though I don't know yet if my students will be able to borrow and use books at home, or if they'll only have access to them digitally.

(Sound Wall printables by Must Love First on TPT found here)

Though I'm hoping I'll be able to teach effectively for the school year from within this classroom, I'm setting up an instructional closet area at home in my craft room should our buildings be closed again like they were in the spring. Over-prepared is better than under-prepared, right?

This year my classroom won't be full of students or their work, creative constructions, or seasonal crafts.  It will be odd, and even uncomfortable. I'll be hearing other children and colleagues as they pass by my classroom each day and it will be an adjustment to only interact with my own students via a screen with little if any time in each other's presence.  It will be refreshing yet unusual to eat my lunch and snacks and drink my water outside for as many days as it is possible.  It will be uncomfortable, worrying about what might be in the air all around me indoors, and what I might bring home with me each day.

No, I cannot take a year without pay.  I'm at least fifteen years away from retirement.

Vigilance. Grace.  Hope.  Patience. "Preparedness." 

I'm not sure they, or my organizational efforts, will be enough.