The Modern Day “Cart Teacher”

By. Meredith Biesinger

When I was in high school (many years ago), we didn’t have enough classrooms for our teachers, so some of the teachers were deemed “cart teachers.”  

“Cart teachers” kept all of their supplies and curriculum on a pushcart and traveled to different available classrooms throughout the day. I’m sure that had to be exhausting! As I have reflected on these teachers that I used to see pushing all of their lesson plans and activities around from classroom to classroom, I’ve realized that in 2021, we are all “cart teachers.” 

At any given moment, we might be teaching in our classrooms or virtually from our homes. Some of our students may be in quarantine, and some still might be at school. We may be teaching a hybrid model, where some days we are teaching in-person, and other days we’re online. 

It’s essential for us to have all of our resources ready, and with us, at any given time because we’re not 100% confident where our next lesson might take place. 

As educators, we always need to be prepared for what might happen next. There’s no need to live in fear or even anticipation, but being prepared is always better than not being prepared. 

No matter your current circumstance as an educator, or a parent, there’s a variety of curriculum, resources, and activities to have on hand no matter where you’re teaching from. 

Learning Resources is an excellent tool for at-home learning, as it provides engaging learning opportunities for students of all ages. 

Hand-2-Mind is an absolute go-to resource for Pre-K-5 students. They offer free, hands-on activities that encourage students to be involved in their learning process. With everything from STEM to art, and literacy, educators and parents have endless options with Hand-2-Mind. 

Additionally, safety is always a number one concern for our students. With the pandemic, the term safety has shifted more towards health and sanitation. However, with more virtual learning happening, we need to remember online safety too. Companies such as McAfee ensure that you and your student’s identity, privacy, and security are entirely safe while participating in virtual learning.  With countless resources available, we can ensure that our “teaching carts” are stocked and ready to go wherever this school year might take us!