HIALEAH GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) – Students aren’t the only ones going into the books next week. South Florida teachers are also preparing for the first day of school.
Jennifer Valliere, an outstanding student education teacher at Hollywood Park Elementary School, showed 7News her class on Friday as she put the finishing touches ahead of Tuesday, when her students are about to return from vacation. ‘summer.
“We use flexible seating a lot, and I ask my kids to bring yoga mats,” she said.
Valliere said she gets her students moving and is excited to learn from day one.
“I teach students with developmental disabilities in our special programs class, and they’re all in fifth grade,” she said.
As an ESE teacher, Valliere said, she often has to think outside the box when teaching. Some of his students are non-verbal.
“I’ll just put a photo over there and say hello,” she said, pointing to a recording device with a touchpad.
Bulletin boards are ready to go at Hollywood Park Elementary, as Broward County Public School teachers organize and prepare for Tuesday.
“I think we’re happy to start the year, just to be able to sit the kids together and have a fresh start from the beginning instead of having to space them out,” said BCPS teacher Elena Cardet.
With mask mandates no longer enforced, teachers said it allowed them to do what they love: teaching.
“It’s much easier, in the sense of communication. We’re going to have a lot of read-alouds and picture books. It’s hard to do with a mask on,” said BCPS teacher Maria Weaver.
Classes at public schools in Miami-Dade County begin Monday.
7News cameras captured Kenia Pérez, a kindergarten teacher at Hialeah Gardens Elementary School, making sure her class is ready for her students.
“Super excited, extremely excited to be back to our pre-social distancing guidelines,” she said. “I’m a big proponent of students working in groups, collaborating with each other.”
Pérez said she planned the whole summer on day one.
“Filling the void, the lack of learning that has been going on for a few years is my biggest concern,” she said. “That’s why I came up with all these great activities… working with [students] individually, work with them while playing, because at this age they like to play.
Erac Long, another M-DCPS teacher, said he was also happy to see his students again.
“It’s really exhilarating. You get them fresh. They either come from kindergarten or daycare, so you can shape them and kind of create their future,” he said.
“More than anything, I can’t wait to see the smiles of my students. I think it’s very important, to see their emotions, for them to see mine,” said another teacher from Hialeah Gardens Elementary. “We are so ready. We are so ready for them.
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