As a teacher, you are naturally adept at adjusting your lessons to meet the needs of your students on a daily basis. Since the spring of 2020, though, many educators have had to go beyond just a slight modification and make a transition from in-person classroom communities to virtual classrooms and distance learning.
Social and emotional learning and support are critical for students, and it is especially true now as they face the challenges of an online or hybrid learning environment. To help you provide that learning and support, we’re offering again sample lesson plans that can be used in conjunction with four of our Avenue A titles. These lessons include ideas for how you can continue to build and foster a positive classroom community, provide the social connections and reassurances that your students need, and support your students’ academic goals.
As you continue to navigate new platforms and strategies for teaching and learning, remember to treat yourself with the same kindness, patience, and understanding that you extend to your students when they undertake new challenges. Students want to feel connected to you and their learning community, and we are all learning together.
For persisting through challenging tasks
Ready for Read Aloud
Jenny Rose ● Lisa M. Griffin
Addresses assertiveness, empathy Second-grader Rosa feels too shy to read in front of her teacher and classmates, so she practices reading aloud to the animals in her backyard. When a new neighbor moves in next door, Rosa learns it’s easier to be brave with a little imagination and encouragement from friends.
For seeing a problem and selecting the appropriate option for a positive outcome
Charlie and the Octopus
Rebecca Roan ● Larissa Marantz
Addresses cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility An octopus follows Charlie home from the aquarium. And that’s where everything goes wrong. When Charlie fails to convince his parents that a mischievous octopus is the culprit of the chaos, he takes matters into his own hands, devising a plan to get rid of the octopus once and for all.
For learning to make and keep friends
The New Bird in Town
Jamie L. B. Deenihan ● Carrie Hartman
Addresses cooperation, assertiveness, empathy When Owl moves to a new neighborhood, he can’t wait to make friends. But when he invites the other forest animals to his tree warming party, they misinterpret his intentions. With the help of Skunk, who knows how much first impressions can stink, Owl and his neighbors learn that everyone deserves a chance to be known.
For respecting and valuing diversity
Alexis vs. Summer Vacation
Sarah Jamila Stevenson ● Veronica Agarwal
Addresses cooperation, assertiveness, empathy The summer before high school is supposed to be a time to reinvent yourself, but fourteen-year-old Alexis isn’t sure who she wants to be. It doesn’t help that she hasn’t mustered up the courage to talk to Hayley, that cute junior lifeguard at the local pool, or that she doesn’t know what liking a girl means for her identity. When she meets Luke and Jason, she discovers she isn’t the only person who hasn’t figured life out.
