TL;DR:

• Managing assignments for online courses.
• Daily Work Checklist for kids to keep online work organized.

My Aha! Moment

Most of the ideas I get for blog posts are coming from experiences I’m having with my own children during this remote learning adventure. This latest idea of a daily work checklist is the result of both tears and frustration (from all of us!) trying to figure out what online assignments were completed and what still had to be done. I find my kids get a lot of multi-step directions on Google Classroom daily.

Because of their age (well, 2 out of 3 kids), it’s hard for them to navigate it all. Undoubtedly, something gets missed.  I started (unplanned) making a checklist for my 4th grader of things he still needed to finish once we got to the midpoint of the day. It sparked an idea.

What if my other children, particularly my 2nd grader, and even my own students, were having trouble keeping track of what they had to do? Many kids are part of multiple Google Classrooms. Some students have only one teacher, but there are different Google Classrooms set up for each subject.

Other students, like my own, have two or more teachers that have individual Google Classrooms set up. There are also the specials teachers to consider, who have been assigning work now on Google Classroom as well. It’s a lot to manage, especially for kids who haven’t used Google Classroom much before now. 

How to Use the Checklist

After a few weeks of jotting down lists of work for my 4th grader, I put together an actual Daily Work Checklist.  I like to print this out and manually fill in the subjects and assignments daily. However, if your kids or students don’t have a printer, you can offer them a digital version of this.

They can use a text box to fill in the subjects/assignments, and a drawing tool to check off work as they finish it. You can even separate this into “morning work” on the left hand side, and “afternoon work” on the right. Even if your kids are working offline, with workbooks or packets, they can still benefit from this. However you chose to use this checklist, I hope you, your children, and students, find it useful in staying organized.

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ABOUT BECKY THAL

Becky Thal is a 5th grade math and science teacher in New Jersey and a Data Analyst for the Teach Better Team. Prior to starting her career in teaching in 2005, Becky worked for several years in advertising in New York City. She is an active member of her school staff, currently serving on several committees including SEL, Climate and Culture, and the Future Ready Team. Becky is also an active member of her community and her children’s schools. In her spare time, she enjoys trips to the beach, trying new restaurants, and attending her kids’ various games and events . Becky lives with her husband, three children and dog, Cliff, who she loves spending time with on the weekends.