Tomorrow is the first day of July! I have officially begun research for the new school year. I consider myself very lucky because this year I will have a SMART Board in my classroom. I am so excited because I know that the technology will have a positive effect on the education of my students. I have used the interactive whiteboard before, but I was searching the internet today to get additional ideas on how to incorporate it into my daily lessons. I found an amazing blog that I wanted to share. It has a lot of wonderful SMART Board resources for students and teachers of all ages. This teacher was nice enough to share some wonderful notebook templates. They can be found on the right hand side of the site under "My Notebook Files." I especially love the "K-2 Reading Intervention." It has a multitude of online games to assist in reading and language arts instruction and remediation. It is a resource that I definitely plan on using a lot this year. You should definitely check it out for yourself!
SMART Board Goodies Blog
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Gearing Up for Year Two
Summer for teachers isn't just about sunbathing and vacations. (Although I have had an incredible summer so far; I got married and went on a wonderful honeymoon.) I have already spent quite a bit of time preparing for the coming school year. I have spent time in my classroom visualizing how to change the physical setup to better suit the environment and my expectations. I have also spent time just thinking. How can I change my approach to behavior management? How can I make my lessons more effective? How can I better differentiate my instruction so that each student is getting the education that they need and deserve?
All of these questions are part of the preparation that goes into the second year of teaching (and the third, fourth, fifth, tenth, and twentieth years). It is a constant re-evaluation of your procedures and techniques so that you are always evolving, always growing, always improving. I don't ever want to become stagnant. I want to try new things even if it means falling down along the way. I will learn from my mistakes and get right back up to try again.
I am so excited to see what the new year brings....although I still have much more preparation to do.
All of these questions are part of the preparation that goes into the second year of teaching (and the third, fourth, fifth, tenth, and twentieth years). It is a constant re-evaluation of your procedures and techniques so that you are always evolving, always growing, always improving. I don't ever want to become stagnant. I want to try new things even if it means falling down along the way. I will learn from my mistakes and get right back up to try again.
I am so excited to see what the new year brings....although I still have much more preparation to do.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Last Day of School...Bittersweet
Tomorrow is the last day of school for students at Mercer, and I have mixed feelings. For one, it is hard to believe that my first year of teaching full-time is over already. Now I know how teachers who have been in the school for a while can forget exactly how many years they have been teaching. Time really does fly. I look back over the year, and some of the months just run together (and in the future, I am sure the years will run together too).
I am sad to see my students go. I have developed such a wonderful rapport with them, and we have become so comfortable with each other. I know, however, that no matter how long I teach, these will always be my first group of students. I will remember each and every one of them for a variety of reasons. :) On the other hand, I am excited to see them move on to first grade. I know that I have prepared them well, and I can't wait to see and hear about all of the wonderful things that they will accomplish next year. They are more than ready.
I am also looking forward to preparing for next year's students. I have learned a lot this year...what worked, what didn't work, lessons that flourished, and those that flopped. I am excited to try new and different things with a new set of students. It's almost as though I get to "try again."
If I had to use one word to describe teaching, I would use "change." Education is full of constant change. Some of it good; some of it bad. No matter what happens, though, teachers must adjust and adapt. It's also not just about a change in students...it involves changes in policy, changes in grade assignments, changes in curriculum, changes in school programming, changes in technology, and quite possibly the most important: changes within yourself. Each new year brings new challenges...especially when no two children are exactly the same. Hey, I guess that's what makes teaching such an exciting profession.
Tomorrow will be an exciting and emotional day. I will probably shed some tears when I get back to my classroom after putting my students on the bus for the last time, but they will be tears of closure, joy, excitement, anticipation, exhaustion, and success after a job well done.
I am sad to see my students go. I have developed such a wonderful rapport with them, and we have become so comfortable with each other. I know, however, that no matter how long I teach, these will always be my first group of students. I will remember each and every one of them for a variety of reasons. :) On the other hand, I am excited to see them move on to first grade. I know that I have prepared them well, and I can't wait to see and hear about all of the wonderful things that they will accomplish next year. They are more than ready.
I am also looking forward to preparing for next year's students. I have learned a lot this year...what worked, what didn't work, lessons that flourished, and those that flopped. I am excited to try new and different things with a new set of students. It's almost as though I get to "try again."
If I had to use one word to describe teaching, I would use "change." Education is full of constant change. Some of it good; some of it bad. No matter what happens, though, teachers must adjust and adapt. It's also not just about a change in students...it involves changes in policy, changes in grade assignments, changes in curriculum, changes in school programming, changes in technology, and quite possibly the most important: changes within yourself. Each new year brings new challenges...especially when no two children are exactly the same. Hey, I guess that's what makes teaching such an exciting profession.
Tomorrow will be an exciting and emotional day. I will probably shed some tears when I get back to my classroom after putting my students on the bus for the last time, but they will be tears of closure, joy, excitement, anticipation, exhaustion, and success after a job well done.
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