Sorry, I don't have any more fun photos to post today. I took a day off from the classroom and went walking with some friends this morning and then went on a river float with my roomie and two other teachers from my previous school. It was a nice, relaxing day.
Tomorrow, I am heading to school bright and early to do some year long planning with my new team. I have never put together a year long plan before, how about you guys? Apparently it is required at my new school and must be submitted to the principal. I will definitely be relying on my teammates to guide me through this process. I can see why it is important to think in terms of the entire year, but at the same time, I think that so many things change as you go and I hope this plan is viewed with some flexibility in mind.
I received the schedule for our in-service week and we actually have a significant amount of time to work in our classrooms. I am excited to meet the staff, but I am mostly concerned with making sure I am ready for the kiddos. We have Back to School Night one week from tomorrow, so there is still a lot to be done. Once we get our year long plan, hopefully we will also do some planning for the first week. I already have some ideas in mind, but of course I am interested to know what the other teachers are thinking since they have done it all before.
I am still working my way (slowly but surely since I have been so busy) through The First Six Weeks of School. It seems like it will be a great source of guidance regarding what should be accomplished at first. It is easy to get swayed by the powers that be who insist on the immediate start of content instruction, so I always appreciate a good resource to back up my own personal beliefs about what should be happening in the classroom to make the children feel welcome, comfortable, and part of a community that needs to work together to learn together.
I know many teachers have already started back and I hope everything is going smoothly for you! The first week back is always exciting, yet incredibly exhausting at the same time!!
4 comments:
Do you have back to school night before the kids come..? or when do your kids come?
Yikes for the year long plan, we don't do that- but I would think it would be tough without meeting the kids at all. We do year goals but after we meet the kids- those are still a challenge though because there are long and short term and they have to be tied together, too many rules.
Glad you took the day off today :) I did too...but I'll be back tomorrow cuz its supposed to rain AGAIN so I figure might as well be productive when its not really hot in the room or a really nice day out!
The first 6 weeks is a great guide! I use some of it exactly like in the book and I also modify a lot of it. The teachers I work with at my grade level are pretty big on the whole jumping right in, but last year I made sure I really took the time to set up the foundation. And you know what? My kiddos were better behaved and did better on their testing at the end!
I have done a year long plan for the last 10 years or so. I don't always follow it to a T, but I stick to it for the most part. And I write it in pencil so I can make changes when needed. It keeps me focused so I know what I am doing and what needs to be done by certain dates. I did one when I taught a K and it worked a little, but my heart wasn't in it. I missed my 1st graders. As long as the principal doesn't make you follow it to the letter, I think it's a good plan to stay focused and see where you want to go. Good luck!
Yes, I have done a year-long plan for 12 years. I try to follow it as close as possible, but life happens in a classroom and plans change. I do this for a middle school classroom and it gives me a giant overview of the concepts I want to teach during which week of the year. Have a great year with Kindergarten...you're organized and enthusiastic...you'll be wonderful!
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