Teacher’s Brain

How Are Virtual Field Trips Helpful in Education

The world is at your fingertips thanks to technology! I find that resources like virtual field trips are terrific for providing experiences for students in your classroom who might not have opportunities to visit places across the globe.

There is nothing quite as exciting as a field trip for students. There is also nothing quite as exhausting for teachers as a field trip. Virtual field trips can provide excitement to learning about locations, animals, culture, or imagination while connecting across your subject areas. You also don’t need a permission slip signed and returned!

How are virtual field trips helpful in elementary education?

  • Teachers say that in-person trips and virtual visits provide real-world text connections.
  • Technology allows students to travel around the world.
  • Students gain cultural understanding when they are exposed to other countries.
  • Virtual field trips allow learners to engage and explore new places.
  • Teachers are not exhausted by planning and attending an in-person field trip.
  • There are no worries about forgetting lunches or finding volunteers to chaperone.
  • Students can learn about animal habitats or dangerous places like a volcano!
  • They are FREE!

It is hard to replace visiting real places to help enhance learning experiences, but during the pandemic, I found virtual field trips beneficial.

You don’t have to buy anything to make a virtual trip.  There are lots of places like the San Diego Zoo online that have fantastic links to see animals in real-time. I like to have students dress up as part of the trip theme, include writing, centers, math, or science activities to complete the field trip.

If you don’t want to plan a virtual field trip, for just a few bucks on TpT, you can find them already made and ready to take your class on some exciting adventures!

Here are a few popular field trips for K-2 Classrooms:

  • Beach Themed – Learn about beach safety and what it would be like to go to the beach.
  • Earth Day – Take your class to the recycling center safely!
  • Camping Themed Trip – See a bear and other animals while learning about camping.
  • Zoo Trip – Be their favorite teacher by taking students to the zoo! They can find hidden animals, write about the trip, take a plane ride, and more!
  • Wizard School – This is a GREAT way to teach your class about fiction and non-fiction stories. Students will visit a school for wizards, use their imaginations to write their own stories, learn about the life cycle of a frog and enjoy a home project with parents!

Virtual Beach Field Trip for Kids

Harry Potter Virtual Field Trip

I hope you have fun learning with your students this year in the comfort of your own classroom!

Read all about How to Set Up Your Virtual Classroom 

Teachers Pay Teachers Freebies for Back to School

Back to School Freebies for Teachers

Back to school time is the BEST time to grab some freebies! We have spent our summer money, so spending is tight. There is a feeling of excitement to go back to school and the dread of not wanting to go back and give up our summer. What better time to grab some back-to-school freebies to save you time and money?

If you are an elementary school teacher or a homeschool mom, we have some amazing back-to-school resources for you that are FREE! I teamed up with a few other teacher-authors to bring you some favorites! All you have to do is click the images of the resources you want below and DOWNLOAD from TpT.

This is our way of saying thank you for all you do!

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Read all about Classroom Transformations that students LOVE

 

How To Set Up Your Virtual Classroom

The end of summer is rapidly approaching! With the pandemic ongoing, many teachers may be preparing for another year in a virtual classroom instead of in person. For teachers used to teaching face to face in the classroom, things are different and you have to come up with new ways to do pretty much everything. This could either be exciting, or overwhelming. If you are feeling overwhelmed about it, don’t worry! I am here to help. 

While teaching virtually is a learning curve at first, you will soon learn that it can actually be fun! Going digital gives you so many more teaching resources to choose from. You can use Boom Cards, videos, audio, Google Slides, games, and last but most certainly not least, self-grading resources! 

Teaching virtually saves you valuable time grading, prepping, printing, and more. Furthermore, Google Slides make it so easier than ever to personalize your teaching resources and make them your own. What’s not to love! 

If you are just getting started with virtual learning and need some help getting your virtual classroom set up, I have you covered! 

My Virtual Classroom Templates will have you set for distance learning. 

virtual classroom

These editable templates are made with Google Slides so they are quick and so easy to use. They make it simple to decide which slides you want to use with your class, and delete what you don’t want. You can add clickable links, forms, images, a quiz, or videos of you to personalize your classroom.

Feeling nervous about how to use them? Don’t worry! I created a YouTube video instructing you on how to use it and make it your own. 

Included with this virtual classroom resource, you’ll get: 

  • 15 Google Slide Templates for Home Room, Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, PE, Centers and a Brain Break. These include home buttons of the slides so students can use presentation mode and easily find their schedule on the Home Room slide.
  • 18 Google Slides with links for a DEMO. There are extra slides from my own digital resources for you to use as a demo or in your own presentation or if you are K-2, you can use the demo for an emergency sub plan if needed.
  • 3 Page PDF with Directions

Slides are 11 x 8.5 so you can add other slides that can be printed out by the students at home if needed.

virtual classroom

This will make teaching in a virtual classroom a breeze, guaranteed! 

virtual classroom

If you are looking for more digital resources, check out my post here on how to create a virtual All About Me presentation for Back To School night. Or, if you are looking for a way to do calendar time virtually, check out my virtual calendar resource here!  

Are you teaching in person or virtually this year? Let me know in the comments!

virtual classroom

 


 

How To Create A Stellar All About Me Presentation For Back-To-School Night

It’s that time of year again! Time to start preparing for your back-to-school night or “Meet The Teacher” night. If you are looking for an easy and super quick way to make an “About Me” presentation that will wow your new students and their parents, I have you covered! 

As many of you know, I love Google Slides. They are so versatile and easy to use in-person or online for virtual learning! You can easily personalize them and add your own flair without paying an extra cent on supplies. This makes them perfect for teachers looking to save on classroom spending. 

With all of that in mind, I created this All About Me Presentation Google Slides resource to make your back-to-school night experience easy and stunning. 

all about me

This All About Me resource comes with 13 slides that you can easily edit and personalize with your unique personality. The fun and colorful theme will help you make a great first impression! 

all about me

 

After back-to-school night is complete, you can still use these templates for your Star Student! Just switch out your information and add student info for a fun and unique way for students to feel special! 

all about me

Check out the video tutorial for how to use these Google Slides!


If you are looking for an easy print-and-go resource? You can easily print these! This resource also comes with a black and white version. 

all about me

If you love Google Slides as much as I do, check out my post here on how to use them to create a virtual calendar for your Calendar Time this year! 

You can also check out my Virtual Calendar Google Slides Templates here. 

Looking for more back-to-school ideas, check out these classroom decor tips!