Wow! I cannot believe that in about 2 weeks, I'll be really gearing up to be back in the classroom full time. Teachers report on the 18th and our new littles will come in for Open House on the 23rd and First Day of school on the 24th! Eeek! I am experiencing a whirlwind of emotions as I think about this new year. I am excited about the opportunity for new everything. New students, new classroom set up, new principal, and my team is getting a new teammate! There is so much change. With all of that excitement I am also feeling nostalgic. I already miss my babies from last year SO much! And how could I not? They were my very first group! I will miss their sassiness, their need for love, and their overall presence. I am also already missing my teammate that's switched grade levels! Yes...I will miss alot from last year. But, OH MY GOODNESS...there are so many things I am glad I know now...that I only WISH I knew last year! I couldn't possibly hit them all, but I'll take you through a few of my biggest wishes! You guys ready?!
Alright, I have to preface by saying I am not the end all know it all here! I have so much to learn and so much time to learn it! With that being said...there are some things I have picked up on in just one short year!
In undergrad I was a part of so many groups. Ice breakers were what we did whenever we we starting something new with new people. Ice breakers are GREAT. But they should not have been the first thing on my mind with my new 6 year olds. We played people bingo on the first day. Of course they LOVED it, but I SHOULD have been drilling procedures at that time. Later in the year I remember thinking...geeze Veronica you should have reviewed that procedure just a bit more. Ice breakers like people bingo could have come a little later once the kiddos knew what was expected of them. So, friends, do your ice breakers! Just be very strategic about when you do them :)
This kind of goes hand in hand with the last one. I didn't check pinterest and teacher bloggers pages for the procedures I needed to teach! I didn't know that it would bother me if kiddos got out of their seats to ask me questions. Now I do. You probably won't know what things you don't like until they happen. My advice to you would be to nip it in the bud the first time it happens! (In a loving way of course) I found the Whole Brain Teaching rules in the middle of the year and we used them in my room. It helped correct some of the unwanted behaviors that I didn't know I wouldn't want! Don't be afraid to change something if you realize what you have going on isn't working!
Whooo this one was a big one for me! This year I am thinking really long and hard about my behavior management and reward system. I changed things up on my littles so much last year! It was okay, because as a first year teacher, it is bound to happen. I just hated when my first graders weren't sure or there wasn't any consistency. We started the year off with "Cool Cash" tickets as a reward for modeling our school values. They could be cashed in at the end of the week for "something". Maybe a piece of candy, maybe a reward coupon. I tried the Whole Brain Teaching score board. After five days of more smiles they got 10 minutes of extra recess. I tried table points with the table getting the most points having lunch with the teacher. These were all great, but ended up being ALOT to manage! There were weeks I would fall off on the reward piece because it just became too much. Some groups never got their lunch with the teacher. Some reward coupons never ended up honored. That makes me so very sad when I think back! They definitely earned those rewards. As a teacher I know that management works on three different levels- individual, table/group, and whole class. This year I am intentionally thinking about what I can do to manage all of it without wanting to pull my hair out! I am also waiting to introduce the reward piece until the kiddos have had time to practice the expectations! That may seem a little backwards for some, but it is what will work for me!
Okay...this was more of a "Ms. Morris...you need to stick to it!" I started with a cup for sharpened and dull pencils. My students weren't allowed to sharpen pencils, so I had to have them sharpened for them. Somewhere along the line I stopped being proactive with the pencils and being reactive. BAD CHOICE FRIENDS! They will break quicker than you want, and you will end up spending lots of time sharpening pencils DURING class. I will keep up with my sharpening this year!
This should have been a given for me. I know young children. They need constant modeling! However, I saw the standards, and curriculum and felt like I needed to hurry. This year I am slowing down and taking the time to give my students exactly what they need --> modeling!
This one is kind of loaded. YES they could write letters. I made the mistake of jumping right into paragraph writing. Whoooa! I know, right?! This year we are starting with concepts as basic as how to color a picture. That is literally our second writing lesson this year, after the lesson on putting names on every paper.
My team was supportive from day 1 for me. I couldn't have made it without them! I took in all of their resources, but didn't always speak up if I needed something. We work really well together, and this year I will be sure to keep forging those relationships AND being someone they can lean on as well!
So there you have it folks! These are SOME of the things I learned. There is so much more, but I figure this has gone on long enough and I want to hear about some of the things you've learned! Comment some things you've picked up whether this is going to be your second year like me or you're a 22 year veteran! Happy Back to School friends!
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