Are you on a cart or do you have your own classroom?!
Having a classroom or teaching from a cart makes a huge difference in the day to day experiences of a teacher. I’m here to give you all the details on how I set up my cart and how I make it work for me. That said, it’s definitely one of those things that each person needs to figure out what works best for them. Teaching from a cart is definitely challenging, but, in my opinion, getting to teach elementary students makes it all worth it.
Picking a Cart to Teach From
There are many awesome options out there; so, if you’re able to choose your cart, I encourage you to look at a bunch before you decide on one.
I used to have a fancy cart with a whiteboard but have since downsized in favor of one that is easily maneuvered in and out of classrooms and the elevator. Most of my visuals are on the google slides I teach from, so I don’t feel the need to include lots of visuals for teaching on my cart.
I’m lucky enough to work with a team of awesome Elementary Spanish teachers and we all have different carts–they said I could share photos with you so here we go!
Different angles of my cart. My computer sits on the open space on top while en route to different classes.
I love to hang student artwork from the side of my bins with binder clips.
Some questions to think about when choosing a cart…
- Do you need to display visuals on it?
- Does it have enough space for teacher items as well as items for class?
- Does it have space for your computer?
- How easily does it roll / move over transitions in the flooring?
- Can you add command strips to it to help with displaying visuals?
What’s on your cart?
I’ve had tons of people ask about how to set up their carts. I will say my organization system works really well for me; and, I’m happy to share it here. That said, I’m sure you’ll figure out your favorite way to keep track of everything you need.
I will call my system the Bin Method. I start with one bin per grade level. In them, I put worksheets, books, materials for games, etc. that are specific to that grade level’s lessons. In addition to grade level bins, I have others that I put on my cart as needed.
For example, if a class will be playing a board game, I will bring the bin with game pieces. If a class will be playing bingo, I put the bin with bingo chips on my cart. OH! And if we’re practicing conversations, I bring the big basket of stuffies/puppets.
I also have bins for my teacher items on the top of my cart. Desk things I use throughout the day include, post its, pens, paper clips, binder clips, sharpie, highlighter, tape, scissors, stapler, backup staples. I also bring stickers, bandaids, kleenex, hand sanitizer, balls, puppets, and my COFFEE / water.
Don’t forget to print off and bring your schedule with you! I number my lessons so I always have my list of which class is on which lesson on a clipboard (on my cart). Who can remember all that throughout the day? Not me.
How do you remember everything?
When I’m planning lessons each day, I do not consider myself finished with a lesson until everything I need to teach it is on my cart. So, if I need copies for the lesson, they are in the bin for that grade level. If we are reading a book, it’s on the cart. If I need puppets or stuffies, on the cart. Manipulatives for a game? On. The. Cart.
Like everyone, I am, of course, human. I occasionally realize I left something in my office as I’m teaching a lesson. Luckily, I teach with some amazing teachers and they are always very gracious in covering for me as I run back to grab what we need.
Also, it’s really easy to set something down in a classroom somewhere and not ever think about it again until you need it as you’re teaching days later in another class. It can be challenging to think back and find it again! I try my best to never set things down in the classrooms I’m in and instead always put them down on my cart.
Random thoughts about teaching on a cart
More than anything, remember that YOU are the magic of your class, not the space you’re in. As much as I’d love to decorate and teach in a space dedicated to the Spanish language and cultures, I can still effectively teach in other spaces.
This advice could really be given about a variety of topics, but it’s helpful to adjust your expectations when teaching on a cart. You can’t do all the things. Accepting that some types of activities aren’t ideal when teaching on a cart allows you to focus on those that are better suited to the situation.
It can be quite challenging teaching in someone else’s space. I have found it so helpful to develop good relationships with my colleagues. It’s easier to handle frustrations when we know each other well. Being open and flexible can go a long way, as well.
Okay, there you have it! Leave questions below in the comments–I’d love to hear from you. If you’re on a cart now, I encourage you to leave some advice for us!
Please let's be done with pandemic teaching
This year, guys.
We struggled. We limped. We cried. We tried to laugh instead of crying. We stared into space, unsure of where to go next. We felt exhaustion unlike any before.
We made plans and then changed them. And changed them again. We modified or completely re-made teaching materials. We tried to refrain from banging our heads on the desk.
We connected with colleagues, knowing they felt the same. We could see it in their eyes–above their mask.
We taught kindergarteners who had forgotten or never learned how to “do school.” We showed more patience and flexibility than we thought possible.
We faked a positive attitude more often than in normal years. We drove home in silence at the end of the day because we couldn’t take any more stimulation.
We took the evenings and weekends to slowly put our broken selves back together only to return to school Monday and start the process over again.
We took personal and mental health days that were so necessary and also not enough. We hung on for dear life.
To all teachers who taught in this pandemic, I see you.
The longest school year of our lives is coming to a close.
This year my “Professional Practice Goal” was to still be a teacher next year. I think my principal was taken aback when I told him at the start of the year. Did I really sound that crazy, though?
I now see how spot on that goal was. I do think I’ll be a teacher next year so here’s to probably meeting that goal.
Being with my students these last days is the only thing that keeps me going. They are so dear to me. In all the craziness, they still learned. It wasn’t always pretty but we kept them engaged and they learned.
We did good work.
As a Spanish teacher always on the lookout for new ways to engage my students (especially this year), I was pumped when a colleague told me about the online game Baamboozle. (Thanks, Jamie!)
I love this game for many reasons but the best reason is how versatile it is! You can use it with any content and grade level. I like to switch up how we do teams so it feels different each time. Plus, it’s a nice alternative to the individual player online games like Kahoot and Blooket.
How to get set up
Baamboozle is played with just one device. The teacher brings it up on their computer, projects it on the screen or board, and you’re ready to play.
Creating the games is not super time consuming. Add a title, description, and an image to help you keep track of your different games and you’re ready to create questions!
The questions are really simple to create. Type in the question & answer, add an image or gif if you’d like and repeat. If my question asks for students to do a movement, I usually put the answer as “student answered correctly.”
Playing Baamboozle
The free version allows for up to 4 teams. I usually make around 12 questions so I choose the 16 question option. I like to make sure there is room for some of the fun power-ups.
There are a few different options for how to play the game.
The quiz option on the left will just be question / answer.
Classic Jr. on the right has the questions worth fewer points. Plus, it only does the simple power-ups; not the mean (steal from the other team) ones. This version is great for classes that struggle with wining/losing.
I usually play the Classic version. This has positive and negative power-ups.
To keep things simple for teams, I usually divide the class in half down the middle.
I call on the first student to pick which question they’d like, using the Spanish number. If they answer in English, we all count up together in Spanish. The student who picked the question has to tell me the answer but they can check in with their team mates as needed.
If you’re short on time or have a little extra, you can play a lightning round. In that case, I just start with question 1 and make my way through the questions numerically.
Now that we’ve looked at set up and how to play, let me share with you…
Reasons Why I Love Baamboozle
It’s easy to create games
Maybe it’s just me but creating games on Baamboozle takes me way less time than other game sites. I love that they have images and gifs included; and that you can also upload your own images.
You can use different types of questions
It’s so nice to be able to have different tasks other than the typical multiple choice question. This is an easy way to incorporate conversation type content. I also love that students don’t have to be able to read the questions & answer options–the teacher can do that during the game. Students can respond with a word, phrase, sentence, movement, you name it!
Incorporate movement
Honestly, this is my top reason why I love this game. Especially this year, I’m sure we’re all looking for ways to enable our students to move (in a positive way, not like hanging upside down from their chair or draped over their desk…). Baamboozle lets us do that! They can do an action for a certain vocabulary term or repeat an action a certain number of times. Learning numbers? Have them count to a certain number while marching or jumping! Working with more advanced students? Have them act out a sentence.
It’s fun to play with bigger teams
I often play “Clase vs. Señora” during games like tic tac toe or board games as a whole group. However, it’s fun to switch it up and play Baamboozle with two larger teams. Although keep in mind, you are able to have as many as 4 groups with the free version. I typically have the student who picks the question give me the answer but I allow them to check in with their team if they want to.
It works great with all grade levels
This is one of the few online games I will use with any grade level. It’s nice that there is no logging in and the only set up is clicking the link and deciding teams. No running around helping 20 kindergarten friends figure out how to login! 🤣
Some degree of luck
Each class has those one or two students whose brains work really fast and tend to win more often than not. I like that this game throws cards in that help or hurt the team. That degree of luck allows for some epic comebacks and increased engagement from all students.
It allows for teacher scaffolding / support and discretion on answers allowed
Since the teacher is the one deciding if the answer is correct or incorrect, this allows for a little wiggle room. I love being able to provide support for those students who need it and then being able to still award points when they come up with the answer.
Give it a try!
Maybe these games I already made will be helpful to you. Check them out! I’d love to hear what you think once you’ve tried it–leave a comment below.
