The pandemic has made a huge impact on everyone on the planet. Even as we cautiously and optimistically transition to a less restrictive world, lessons have been learned and our hindsight is 20/20. Schools have been one of the hardest hit areas during this precarious time.
When I saw the EZ Stickerbook, I immediately thought…this would have been perfect for remote learning. The students could collect and see the stickers they earned online. It would motivate them and keep them accountable. It would make them feel good about themselves; it would be emotionally uplifted.
Transitioning to teaching remotely
I am a kindergarten teacher who has been teaching remotely for 13 months. This is not the type of teaching I was trained for, but it is the situation which I was dealt. I couldn’t take my time to decide…okay, what should I do and how should I do it? I went from one day being in a classroom with 20 students to the next day being totally remote…I had to think fast and I had to support my students.
Thankfully, I am pretty tech-savvy so it wasn’t a difficult transition for me. My students were rock stars and they just went with the flow of online school. The parents were also rock stars. They went from being a parent to an assistant teacher overnight and they did great. We got through the end of the 2019-2020 school year and the parents couldn’t have been happier with how I handled remote learning. I was so grateful for all of them.
New school year, new challenges
The 2020-2021 school year brought about new challenges. I was going to be working remotely with students who had never set foot in an elementary school. How would I keep their attention? How would I keep them motivated? Are they going to be able to learn remotely? Last year, I had a class that I got to know for 8 months and we had routines and rules in place. Now I was starting from scratch.
Although I did try some homemade online incentive charts, they were not as user-friendly as EZStickerbook. The ease of use, home-school connection and highly motivating images are perfect for in-person and at home learning.
Planning for the future
The pandemic took a toll on everyone’s emotional and mental health. Young children are not meant to sit in front of a screen and listen to lectures all day. They need hands on materials and peer interactions. They need to be motivated and cheered on. EZStickerbook will be a great addition to my in-person class starting with the 2021-2022 school year. We can all use a little pat on the back.
Kim LaCoste
Kim LaCoste has worked in early childhood education for over 30 years. She has a BS in Elementary Education, a MS in Early Childhood Education and a CAGS in School Leadership. When not in her kindergarten classroom, she likes to read, spend time with her dogs, go to the beach and spend time with her son and husband. Using technology in her classroom is one of her passions.
